Rarely vs. Barely — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Rarely and Barely
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Compare with Definitions
Rarely
Not often; seldom
I rarely drive above 50 mph
Barely
Only just; almost not
A barely perceptible pause
She nodded, barely able to speak
Rarely
Remarkably well
You can write rarely now, after all your schooling
Barely
In a simple and sparse way
Their barely furnished house
Rarely
Not often; infrequently
"The truth is rarely pure and never simple" (Oscar Wilde).
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Barely
Openly; explicitly.
Rarely
In an unusual degree; exceptionally
"a rarely good judge of the best in modern literature" (Frank Harris).
Barely
By a very little; hardly
Could barely see the road in the fog.
Rarely
With uncommon excellence
"You can write rarely now, after all your schooling" (George Eliot).
Barely
In a scanty manner; sparsely
A barely furnished room.
Rarely
Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.
We rarely go to the theatre.
Rarely do you ever find an eagle this far up the river.
Barely
(degree) By a small margin.
Rarely
Unusually well; excellently.
Barely
(degree) Almost not at all.
The plane is so far away now I can barely see it.
Yes, it is barely visible.
Rarely
To a rare degree; very.
Barely
(archaic) merely.
Rarely
In a rare manner or degree; seldom; not often; as, things rarely seen.
Barely
Without covering; nakedly.
Rarely
Finely; excellently; with rare skill. See 3d Rare, 2.
The person who played so rarely on the flageolet.
The rest of the apartments are rarely gilded.
Barely
Without concealment or disguise.
Rarely
Not often;
We rarely met
Barely
Merely; only.
R. For now his son is duke.W. Barely in title, not in revenue.
Barely
But just; without any excess; with nothing to spare (of quantity, time, etc.); hence, scarcely; hardly; as, there was barely enough for all; he barely escaped.
Barely
By a small margin;
They could barely hear the speaker
We hardly knew them
Just missed being hit
Had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open
Would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave
Barely
In a sparse or scanty way;
A barely furnished room
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