barely any

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "barely any" is a valid and acceptable choice for written English.
Typically, you'll use this phrase to emphasize that there's hardly any of something. For example, "We have barely any money left to buy food."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"There could be a lot of exposure or barely any.

The Guardian

The friends thing was interesting because I had barely any.

Huffington Post

This process is effected by BARELY ANY MERISTEM (BAM1) and BAM2 [ 14].

BMC Plant Biology

Barely any.

The New York Times

THERE was barely any warning.

The Economist

Stone had barely any line.

The New Yorker

Barely any touching.

The New York Times

Barely any change?

The Guardian - Lifestyle

There's barely any spectacle.

The New Yorker

There was barely any nod to Manhattan.

The New York Times

Instead, there is barely any policy debate.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "barely any" to emphasize a significant lack or near absence of something, creating a sense of scarcity or deficiency in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "barely any" when a slight lack does not significantly impact the situation; using more neutral language prevents overstating the absence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely any" functions as a quantifier, modifying nouns to indicate a small or insignificant amount. It serves to emphasize the lack of something, as illustrated in Ludwig's examples, such as "There's "barely any" snow in Washington."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

73%

Academia

12%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "barely any" is a quantifier used to indicate a small or insignificant amount, effectively conveying scarcity or near absence. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and wide usage across various contexts, particularly in News & Media. While versatile, it's crucial to avoid over-emphasis and ensure the context warrants the use of such a strong expression of lack. Alternatives like "hardly any" or "almost none" can provide similar meanings with subtle differences in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hardly any

Indicates a very small amount or degree; subtly emphasizes the lack.

scarcely any

Similar to "hardly any", but can also suggest that something is difficult to find or obtain.

almost none

Directly states the near absence of something.

virtually no

Emphasizes that something is so close to zero as to be negligible.

next to no

Suggests a quantity so small it is practically nonexistent.

a negligible amount

Highlights that the quantity is so small it's not worth considering.

a minimal quantity

Focuses on the fact that the amount is the smallest possible.

very little

A more general way of saying that there is not much of something.

an insignificant number

Highlights that the number is small and unimportant.

a paucity of

A more formal way to express a lack or scarcity of something.

FAQs

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

You can use "barely any" to indicate a small quantity or degree, such as "There's "barely any" milk left in the fridge" or "He had "barely any" time to finish the project".

What phrases are similar to "barely any"?

Similar phrases include "hardly any", "scarcely any", "almost none", and "virtually no". These phrases all express a similar idea of scarcity or near absence.

Is it more formal to say "barely any" or "almost none"?

"Almost none" is generally considered more straightforward. "Barely any" can sometimes carry a slightly more informal or emphatic tone, but both are acceptable in most contexts.

What's the difference between "barely any" and "a few"?

"Barely any" emphasizes the scarcity or lack of something, while "a few" indicates a small, but present, quantity. Using "a few" implies there is some amount, whereas "barely any" suggests there is very little.