barely

[/ˈbeɪrli/]

adverb

mal, apenas, quase não

1. Only just; almost not; by the smallest margin

I barely passed the exam.

Mal passei no exame.

2. In a way that is only just sufficient; scantily

The room was barely furnished.

O quarto era mal mobiliado.

3. Only a very short time before; just

She had barely arrived when the phone rang.

Ela tinha apenas chegado quando o telefone tocou.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

mal, apenas

Most common usage in informal speech and writing

Rio de Janeiro

mal, quase não

Regional variation with emphasis on 'almost not' meaning

São Paulo

apenas, mal

Consistent with general Brazilian usage

Portugal

mal, apenas, quase não

All three translations are acceptable; 'mal' is commonly used

barely make ends meet - conseguir se virar mal e mal

barely survive - sobreviver de forma precária

barely able to - mal conseguir

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