barely ever see

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "barely ever see" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express that something is seen very infrequently or almost never. Example: "I barely ever see my old friends since we all moved to different cities."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

JAMES SPANJAARD (VOICEOVER): He leaves Uris Library at times of the morning that I barely ever see.

Cornell University

This probably means that in academic works we will barely ever see crude plagiarism again.

The Guardian

But blindingly obvious in an almost literal sense: it's so self-evident, we barely ever see it.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The painfully un-chic part is that I barely ever see her since she's been on the campaign trail!

The New York Times

"We barely ever see a revenue agent who doesn't find an issue and try to extract some kind of payment for its nuisance value," said Mr. Lifson, a partner at the accounting firm Crowe Horwath.

The New York Times

Plus, the unlock process is so fast, I barely ever see the lock screen.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

The local children barely ever saw any orthodox pupils leave their citadel.

The Times

Sir Paul McCartney may no longer be a neighbour, but Adele still is (although Cook has barely ever seen her).

Independent

Korea's players, of whom only two have major league experience, have barely ever seen any Venezuelan player live.

The New York Times - Sports

I didn't even know what a documentary film was – I was 21 years old, I'd barely ever seen one.

The Guardian - Film

"We have barely ever seen a more dramatic end to a race than that," NBC's analyst declared, and in movie land, at this point, the musical score would have swelled to match the roar of the crowd as the camera captured Miller's exhausted face in closeup, the victorious underdog.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "barely ever see" when you want to emphasize the infrequency of seeing something or someone. It's stronger than saying "rarely see" or "seldom see".

Common error

Avoid using "barely ever see" when you actually mean "never see". "Barely ever" implies there are still some instances of seeing something, however rare.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely ever see" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase indicates the infrequency of an action, specifically seeing something or someone.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

10%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "barely ever see" is a grammatically sound and usable expression that indicates a low frequency of seeing something or someone. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and provides numerous examples from diverse sources, primarily News & Media. While alternatives like "rarely see" or "hardly ever see" exist, "barely ever see" emphasizes the scarcity of the visual experience. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects a near-absence rather than complete absence, and be mindful of the neutral register suitable for general communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hardly ever observe

Replaces "see" with "observe" and "barely" with "hardly", emphasizing the act of observation.

rarely glimpse

Substitutes "see" with "glimpse" and "barely ever" with "rarely", implying a fleeting or infrequent view.

infrequently witness

Replaces "see" with "witness" and "barely ever" with "infrequently", adding a sense of formality and observation of an event.

scarcely notice

Changes the verb to "notice" and replaces "barely ever" with "scarcely", focusing on a lack of awareness.

almost never spot

Replaces "see" with "spot" and "barely ever" with "almost never", conveying a sense of chance encounter.

seldom view

Substitutes "see" with "view" and "barely ever" with "seldom", suggesting a formal or distant perspective.

occasionally perceive

Changes "see" to "perceive" and "barely ever" to "occasionally", indicating a mental awareness rather than a direct visual experience.

infrequently lay eyes on

Replaces "see" with the idiomatic "lay eyes on" and "barely ever" with "infrequently", creating a more emphatic expression.

not often encounter

Switches the verb to "encounter" and replaces "barely ever" with "not often", focusing on interactions rather than just visual perception.

unlikely to observe

Expresses the low probability of seeing something, rather than the frequency.

FAQs

What does "barely ever see" mean?

The phrase "barely ever see" means that you see something or someone very infrequently, almost never. It suggests a low frequency of occurrence.

What's the difference between "rarely see" and "barely ever see"?

"Rarely see" implies something happens infrequently, while "barely ever see" suggests an even lower frequency, bordering on never seeing it at all. The latter emphasizes the scarcity more strongly.

How can I use "barely ever see" in a sentence?

You can say, "I barely ever see my family since I moved to another country," meaning that you seldom have the opportunity to see your family.

What are some alternatives to "barely ever see"?

Alternatives include "hardly ever see", "seldom see", "rarely see", or "almost never see", depending on the context and the degree of infrequency you want to convey.