barely pass

[ˈbɛrli pæs]

verb phrase

passar de forma apertada

1. to succeed in passing an exam, test, or course with the minimum required grade or score

I barely passed the chemistry exam with a score of 60%.

Passei de forma apertada no exame de química com uma nota de 60%.

2. to narrowly succeed in accomplishing something with difficulty

The car barely passed the safety inspection.

O carro passou de forma apertada na inspeção de segurança.

NYC Slang

barely make the cut

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

passar de forma apertada

most common expression in Brazilian Portuguese

Rio de Janeiro

passar na corda bamba

colloquial expression meaning 'to pass on a tightrope'

São Paulo

passar na apertada

informal, common in São Paulo region

Portugal

passar por pouco

common Portuguese expression meaning 'to pass by a narrow margin'

pass by the skin of one's teeth

scrape through

pass with flying colors (antonym)

get through by a hair's breadth

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