I barely believed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I barely believed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express doubt or skepticism about something, indicating that the speaker had a minimal level of belief or trust in a statement or situation. Example: "When I heard the news, I barely believed it; it seemed too incredible to be true."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

I barely believed in love".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

On this bright afternoon, with the sunlight reflecting off the water to dapple the stonework, I barely believe her when she tells me: "There's lots of drug-dealing and glue-sniffing and Buckfast-drinking here".

The Guardian - Arts

I was also working as a journalist on the side.

Vice

(I can barely believe I'm still giving the oxygen of publicity to the former MP for Montgomeryshire, but one has to fill one's column somehow).

Independent

The whole thing is one big adventure called "being Andrew W.K". I can barely believe I get to be this guy.

Huffington Post

I can barely believe what I'm listening.

The New York Times

I could barely believe what I was seeing.

The Guardian - Sport

He explaIned that his coulding would barelyt effective if I visited him in Frankfurt.

Vice

I could barely believe it when I heard of his tragic death this past weekend.

Huffington Post

I could barely believe my eyes when I saw downtown for the first time since the 1990s!

Huffington Post

I can barely believe it's 11 years since I put on shorts and a fleece with JSP and a phone number emblazoned on the back, and slithered down a muddy slope into the Australian rainforest to join a motley gang – including Princess Diana's camp butler, Paul Burrell.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I barely believed" to express a weak level of conviction or trust in a statement or event, often when it seems surprising or unlikely.

Common error

Avoid using "I barely believed" when you intend to convey complete disbelief. Alternatives like "I couldn't believe it" or "I refused to believe it" are more suitable for expressing strong rejection of a statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I barely believed" functions as a statement expressing a weak level of conviction or near disbelief regarding a past event or statement. It indicates the subject's limited acceptance of something as true, as supported by examples found by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "I barely believed" is a grammatically correct and usable expression to communicate a weak level of belief in something, as confirmed by Ludwig. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it conveys a sense of doubt or mild skepticism. While alternatives like "I scarcely believed" or "I hardly believed" exist, it's essential to use "I barely believed" when conveying a minimal level of conviction, avoiding its application when expressing complete disbelief.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I scarcely believed

Emphasizes the minimal extent of belief, similar to 'barely' but can sound more formal.

I hardly believed

Indicates a low degree of belief, closely aligned with the original phrase's meaning.

I almost didn't believe

Highlights the nearness to disbelief, adding a sense of potential acceptance.

I found it hard to believe

Focuses on the difficulty in accepting something as true.

I struggled to believe

Suggests an internal conflict or effort required to accept something.

I had difficulty believing

Similar to 'found it hard to believe', but perhaps more passive in tone.

I questioned whether to believe

Directly expresses the act of questioning the veracity of something.

I was skeptical of believing

Introduces a level of skepticism or doubt regarding the information.

I remained unconvinced

Indicates that the information failed to produce belief.

I doubted its veracity

Expresses doubt about the truthfulness or accuracy of something.

FAQs

What does "I barely believed" mean?

The phrase "I barely believed" suggests that you had a very small amount of belief in something, almost to the point of disbelief. It implies a sense of doubt or skepticism.

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

You can use "I barely believed" when describing a surprising or unbelievable event. For example, "When I heard the news, "I barely believed" it; it seemed too incredible to be true."

What are some alternatives to "I barely believed"?

You can use alternatives like "I scarcely believed", "I hardly believed", or "I almost didn't believe" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "I barely believe" instead of "I barely believed"?

Yes, both are grammatically correct, but they convey different tenses. "I barely believe" refers to something you currently have difficulty believing, while ""I barely believed"" refers to something you had difficulty believing in the past.