Barely faster

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Barely faster" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something is only slightly quicker than another thing. Example: "The new model is barely faster than the previous version, but it offers improved features."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Speeds barely faster than walking at least help protect pumps and motors from harm.

The New York Times

And wages have risen barely faster than the rate of inflation.

The New Yorker

The economy has grown barely faster than the population since the beginning of 2000.

The New York Times

Never mind that the speed limit is 40 miles per hour, barely faster than in the parkway's early days.

The New York Times

Drought held growth to just 2.6% in the fiscal year ending in June, barely faster than the rate of population increase.

The Economist

Over the past decade Germany's economy has on average grown more slowly than America's and Britain's and barely faster than that of the euro zone as a whole.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Clay Murphy, less heralded than 800m team-mate Boris Berian and barely fast enough to get through the first round in Rio, took a surprise bronze medal.

The Guardian - Sport

Some were embarrassingly infertile, some produced animals that were barely fast enough to justify the diesel needed to transport them to the races.

The Guardian - Sport

Its conclusion that employment was growing fast but barely fast enough to absorb all the new job seekers is good news for city officials because a growing work force is usually a harbinger of a recovery in employment.

The New York Times

Still, hiring growth has been uninspiring in the last year, trudging along just barely fast enough to keep up with population growth but not nearly quickly enough to put a major dent in unemployment.

The New York Times

The whales observed in the study sank only about a half-meter per second -- barely fast enough to move out of a ship's path.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "barely faster" to emphasize that an increase in speed or rate is minimal, often to the point of being almost negligible. It's useful when contrasting two similar speeds or processes.

Common error

Avoid using "barely faster" when the actual difference in speed or rate is significant. This can mislead your audience and undermine the credibility of your statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely faster" functions as an adverbial modifier describing the adjective "faster". It modifies the degree to which something is faster, indicating that the difference in speed is minimal. Ludwig examples show its use in comparing speeds or growth rates.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "barely faster" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe a minimal increase in speed or rate. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and usable in written English. It is frequently used in news and media, as well as in academic and informal contexts, to downplay the significance of a speed difference, conveying that the improvement is slight and almost negligible. When writing, ensure that the actual difference is truly minimal to avoid misleading the reader. Alternatives include "slightly quicker" and "marginally faster".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slightly quicker

Indicates a marginal improvement in speed; emphasizes a small degree of difference.

marginally faster

Highlights that the difference in speed is subtle and on the edge of being noticeable.

barely quicker

Mirrors the original phrase using 'quicker' instead of 'faster'.

just a bit faster

Uses informal language to convey a small increase in speed.

hardly any faster

Stresses the insignificance of the increase in speed, close to no difference.

scarcely faster

Emphasizes the smallness of the difference in velocity.

negligibly faster

Indicates that the speed increase is so small it can be disregarded.

minimally faster

Highlights that the enhancement in pace is as small as it can be.

almost imperceptibly faster

The change in speed is so small it's difficult to notice.

fractionally faster

Implies that the speed increase is only a fraction of the original speed.

FAQs

How can I use "barely faster" in a sentence?

Use "barely faster" to describe something that has a slight increase in speed compared to something else. For example, "The new processor is "barely faster" than the old one, but it consumes less power."

What phrases are similar in meaning to "barely faster"?

Alternatives to "barely faster" include "slightly quicker", "marginally faster", or "just a bit faster". These phrases all suggest a minimal difference in speed.

Is it appropriate to use "barely faster" in formal writing?

Yes, "barely faster" is appropriate for both formal and informal writing. Its meaning is clear and widely understood. The choice of using it depends on whether you need to emphasize the small difference in speed.

What's the difference between "barely faster" and "much faster"?

"Barely faster" indicates a very small or negligible increase in speed. In contrast, "much faster" suggests a significant and noticeable increase in speed. The key difference lies in the degree of change being described.