barely arrived

USAGE SUMMARY

"barely arrived" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to mean that something happened just before the present moment. For example: "We barely arrived in time for the meeting!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

We had barely arrived at the stadium when the police approached.

The New Yorker

"Get out of my house," Janet orders him though she herself has barely arrived.

The New York Times - Books

He had barely arrived in the Pacific when he heard that some of his closest friends had been killed.

The New Yorker

She had barely arrived when he told her he was engaged in a business venture with partners in Nigeria.

The New Yorker

The United Nations troops that are set to replace the American military as a security force have barely arrived.

The New York Times

Mr. de Blasio said he had barely arrived home in Park Slope after marching in the parade when he got a call informing him of the episode.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

Cliff Martinez's score haunted bodies that intermingled in the dusk, falling, chasing, barely arriving.

Huffington Post

I imagined having labor for five minutes, rushing to the hospital barely arriving in time, kind of like in a TV sketch.

Huffington Post

Bastian Hagedorn a musician and social worker from Berlin with whom I've wanted to do a gabber project for years, barely arrives before gutting the basement and reconstructing a legendary Berlin bunker reduced to only the essentials: Fog, strobe, bass.

Vice

Grilled oysters, barely cooked, arrived in tequila-and-sage butter.

The New York Times

In addition, Wigglesworth found himself, barely having arrived, at the helm of a company that has changed shape, direction and personnel since he signed up early last year.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "barely arrived" to emphasize the recency of an arrival and its immediate relevance to a subsequent event or situation. This can create a sense of urgency or highlight the timing of events.

Common error

Avoid using "barely arrived" when you simply mean someone has arrived. This phrase specifically highlights that the arrival happened very recently and is connected to something that follows soon after. If the timing isn't crucial, a simpler term like "arrived" will suffice.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely arrived" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating the timing of an action or event in relation to a subject's arrival. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in English, indicating an action that occurs almost immediately after the arrival.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "barely arrived" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that functions as an adverbial modifier to emphasize the close timing of an event following an arrival. As Ludwig AI validates, it's most common in news and media contexts, where conveying the immediacy of events is crucial. When using this phrase, ensure that the context highlights the recent nature of the arrival and its direct relevance to the subsequent action. Alternatives like "just arrived" or ""hardly got here"" can be used, but remember that they may subtly shift the emphasis. Avoid using the phrase when the specific timing is not essential to the message. The analysis confirms that "barely arrived" is a clear and effective way to highlight recency in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hardly got here

Implies a very recent arrival, focusing on the action of getting to a place.

just showed up

Emphasizes the act of appearing or becoming visible recently.

newly present

Highlights the state of being recently in a particular place or situation.

scarcely made it

Suggests that the arrival was difficult or almost didn't happen.

freshly landed

Indicates a very recent arrival, often used in the context of travel or relocation.

new on the scene

Focuses on the person's newness to a place or situation.

only just reached

Emphasizes the minimal time that has passed since the arrival.

virtually there

Highlights being in proximity with something or someone

fresh off the boat

Suggests that the arrival was recent, often used in the context of cultural adjustments.

newcomer

Focuses on the state of being recently introduced to a new area.

FAQs

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

You can use "barely arrived" to emphasize the immediacy between someone's arrival and a subsequent event. For example, "He had "hardly got here" when the phone rang" or "She "just showed up", and the meeting started immediately".

What are some alternatives to "barely arrived"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "just arrived", "newly present", or "scarcely made it" to convey a similar meaning with slightly different nuances.

Is it more appropriate to use "just arrived" or "barely arrived"?

"Just arrived" indicates a recent arrival without necessarily implying an immediate sequence of events. "Barely arrived" emphasizes that the arrival happened very shortly before something else occurred. The better choice depends on whether that immediacy is important to the message.

What is the difference between "scarcely arrived" and "barely arrived"?

While similar, "scarcely arrived" emphasizes the unexpectedness or difficulty of the arrival, while "barely arrived" focuses more on the very short time between the arrival and what followed. They are often interchangeable, but "scarcely" adds a sense of surprise or narrow escape.