barely as much

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "barely as much" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to compare two quantities or amounts, indicating that one is only slightly less than the other. Example: "She earned barely as much as her colleague, despite working longer hours."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Bowden offered him the no-frills job, with barely as much money as he had made from his last two postseason shares when the Yankees won championships, and with scant power in hiring his coaches.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

UBS had twice the exposure of Merrill but had marked down barely half as much, said Kinner Lakhani, an ABN Amro analyst.

The New York Times

America spends some 4% of its GDP on defence (some $400 billion is planned next year) while Europe spends barely half as much.

The Economist

"The Lives of Others" was shot in color, but you would barely guess as much, since the landscape has long since shrivelled to black-and-white.

The New Yorker

Although Argentina's economy is twice as big as Chile's, it has attracted barely half as much foreign investment as its neighbour since 2007, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Economist

Women constitute a smaller percentage of the workforce in Italy than in any other country in the European Union, apart from Malta, and those who work make barely half as much as their male counterparts.

The New Yorker

In the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, Mexican jays, Aphelocoma wollweberi, are midlevel predators -- mesopredators -- that particularly enjoy feasting on hummingbird eggs and nestlings, as you can see in this video: The black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, the species whose nest was ransacked in the above video, barely weighs as much as an American penny.

The Guardian

The Melbourne Cup might be the race that stops the nation, but when locals were faced with ominous November skies and the prospect of a long weekend, its accompanying parade through the centre of Melbourne on Tuesday barely stopped as much as a single street.

The Guardian - Sport

It is a window that is barely there, as much for looking into the building as for looking out, reminding me of Gerhard Richter's plain glass window panes, which we had just seen in the Guggenheim show, and especially of a 1972 work by Lawrence Weiner that uses no materials at all, unless you count ink.

The New York Times - Arts

Again, though, this thing barely costs as much as a high-end netbook.

TechCrunch

So, while the newsstands were once filled with an atrocious number of magazines, often sold for something like $4 (and often worth barely half as much), today it's more a case of: let's charge $8 or $9 for this magazine, make it good, and you'll be fine.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "barely as much", ensure the context clearly establishes the two elements being compared. This provides clarity and strengthens the comparison.

Common error

Avoid using "barely as much" when the difference between the two quantities is significant. The phrase implies a near equivalence, so misuse can mislead readers.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely as much" functions as an adverbial modifier, typically used to qualify a verb or adjective by expressing a minimal degree of difference between two compared entities. Ludwig shows how it appears in contexts where near equivalence is being emphasized.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "barely as much" is a phrase used to express a near equivalence between two quantities or situations, indicating that one is only slightly less than the other. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and shows its common use across various contexts, particularly in news and media. When writing, ensure that the context supports the implied near equivalence to avoid misleading readers. Alternatives like "almost as much" or "nearly as much" can be used for similar effects.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost as much

Indicates a close similarity in quantity or degree, but not exact equivalence.

nearly as much

Similar to "almost as much", suggesting a small difference.

just about as much

Emphasizes that the amount is very close to being equal.

scarcely as much

Highlights the minimal amount and near equivalence.

hardly as much

Suggests that the amount is only slightly less.

little as much

Underscores the small quantity, implying it's close to being the same.

virtually as much

Implies equivalence for all practical purposes, despite minor differences.

roughly as much

Indicates an approximate equivalence.

approximately as much

Similar to "roughly as much", focusing on the approximate nature of the comparison.

only just as much

Emphasizes that the amount barely reaches the level of the comparison.

FAQs

What does "barely as much" mean?

The phrase "barely as much" means that something is only slightly less than something else. It emphasizes the small difference between two amounts or quantities.

How can I use "barely as much" in a sentence?

You can use "barely as much" to compare two things, indicating that one is only slightly less than the other. For example: "She earned barely as much as her colleague, despite working longer hours."

What are some alternatives to "barely as much"?

Alternatives include phrases like "almost as much", "nearly as much", or "just about as much", which convey a similar meaning of near equivalence.

Is it correct to say "hardly as much" instead of "barely as much"?

Yes, "hardly as much" is a valid alternative to "barely as much". Both phrases suggest that the amount is only slightly less than the amount being compared.