barely completed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "barely completed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that has just been finished, often implying that it was done with difficulty or that it is not fully satisfactory. Example: "The project was barely completed by the deadline, leaving little time for revisions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

As we spoke, he barely completed a sentence without invoking the likes of Plato.

The New Yorker

Joe Namath barely completed more than half his passes (50.1percentt).

The New York Times

The buyout by CVC was barely completed when the financial crisis hit, cutting into travel budgets and Samsonite sales.

The New York Times

That the would-be passengers had barely completed 90 minutes of martial arts training didn't really matter.

The New York Times

This is certainly not the first time a new dance or score has been unfinished or barely completed.

The New York Times - Arts

The pacification of the whole area of the present republic was barely completed by 1914, and between the wars French rule was unprogressive.

Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

Their defense remains nasty, and their offense is somehow producing with a quarterback barely completing 50 percent of his passes.

The New York Times

Some of us could barely complete a thought without touch pads or scroll buttons, but we understood that high-speed data systems did not belong here.

The New Yorker

Landau was so weak she could barely complete a one-mile run, said Missy Iatauro, Landau's coach at Tri-Valley, a small school 80 miles from Manhattan.

The New York Times - Sports

Moore mixes a baroque harpsichord arrangement with a complicated falsetto countermelody that makes Cilla giggle so much that she can barely complete the song.

The Guardian - Music

Lucas, who is barely completing 50percentt of his passes, has 2 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions for a paltry 53.3 quarterback rating.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "barely completed" to convey a sense of near failure or minimal success in finishing a task. This implies that the task was finished, but with difficulty or only just in time.

Common error

While "barely completed" is acceptable, overuse can make your writing sound less professional. Consider using synonyms like "just finished" or "scarcely completed" in formal contexts for greater impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely completed" functions as an adverbial modifier describing the action of the verb 'completed'. It indicates the degree to which something has been finished, implying it was almost not completed. Ludwig's examples show various contexts where this phrase is used to express minimal success or near failure.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "barely completed" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression that conveys minimal success in finishing a task. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. It's most commonly found in news and media, academic, and science contexts. While versatile, writers should avoid overuse in highly formal settings, opting for stronger synonyms like "just finished" or "scarcely completed". Understanding its nuances helps ensure precise and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scarcely finished

Replaces "barely" with "scarcely", emphasizing minimal completion.

just completed

Uses "just" instead of "barely", highlighting the recency of completion.

hardly completed

Employs "hardly" to underscore the difficulty in achieving completion.

near completion

Focuses on the state of almost being complete, rather than the act of finishing.

virtually completed

Suggests completion is so close as to be considered complete for all practical purposes.

almost done

A more informal way to express that something is close to being completed.

minimally completed

Highlights the insufficient or minimal nature of the completion.

incompletely finished

Directly states that the completion is not whole or entire.

narrowly completed

Implies that the task was completed by a very small margin.

marginally completed

Similar to "narrowly completed", suggesting a completion that is just enough.

FAQs

What does "barely completed" mean?

The phrase "barely completed" means something was finished, but with minimal effort, resources, or time. It suggests the task was almost not completed.

What can I say instead of "barely completed"?

You can use alternatives like "scarcely finished", "just completed", or "hardly completed" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "barely completed"?

Yes, "barely completed" is grammatically correct. "Barely" is an adverb modifying the verb "completed".

How does the connotation of "barely completed" differ from "fully completed"?

"Barely completed" implies a narrow margin of success or a low level of satisfaction with the completion, while "fully completed" suggests thoroughness and success. Use "barely completed" when you wish to emphasize the difficulty or near-failure of the task, and "fully completed" otherwise.