barely of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "barely of" is not considered proper English.
You cannot use this in written English. If you want to use a phrase that expresses a similar idea, you might use something like "hardly any" or "scarcely any". For example, "He had barely any money left after the trip."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

My friend was pleased with her young bartender, who seemed barely of drinking age herself.

The New York Times - Food

I was barely of drinking age, not even a year out of college.

The New York Times

But as royalty goes, his place in Xhosa tribal society was barely of the high-born.

The Guardian

I heard a young man, barely of drinking age, say "Who's Redman?" Nas: this rapper currently has the #1 album in the country.

The New Yorker

Democrats parry by pointing toward constituent service, hoping that their financial edge and the conservatives' overreach will leave them in control, if only barely, of Capitol Hill.

The New York Times

In a recent poll, Ms. Fritsch came out ahead — just barely — of the former Texas Republican Party chairman Tom Pauken, once an appointee of Gov. Rick Perry on the Texas Workforce Commission.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

"You have just barely-of-age shredding guitar dudes, and just young punks given'er.

Vice

These girls were barely out of college.

The New York Times - Food

Some are barely out of high school.

The New York Times

You must have been barely out of short trousers".

The New Yorker

The principal titles of barely 30 of the 750-odd hereditary peers were created before 1500.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "barely of" in formal writing. Opt for grammatically correct alternatives such as "hardly any" or "scarcely any" to maintain clarity and credibility.

Common error

Do not assume that "barely of" is interchangeable with phrases like "barely any" or "just barely". While the intent might be understood, the grammatical structure is incorrect and can detract from the writing's overall quality.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely of" functions as a prepositional phrase, attempting to modify a noun or pronoun by indicating a minimal degree or quantity. However, according to Ludwig, the structure is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

17%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "barely of" appears in some sources, Ludwig identifies it as grammatically incorrect. Its intended function is to indicate a minimal degree or quantity. It appears most frequently in news and media contexts. Given the grammatical issues, it's advisable to use alternatives like "hardly any" or "scarcely any" to ensure clarity and correctness in writing. Therefore, prioritize grammatical accuracy over mimicking potentially flawed examples.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hardly any

Replaces "barely" with "hardly", emphasizing scarcity.

scarcely any

Uses "scarcely" to convey a sense of minimal presence or existence.

almost none

Expresses near absence or non-existence.

virtually no

Highlights the near absence of something.

just a little

Indicates a very small amount or degree.

a minimal amount

Focuses on the insignificance of the quantity.

a slight degree

Emphasizes the small extent or level.

only just

Conveys that something barely meets a requirement.

by a whisker

Idiomatic expression for a very narrow margin.

to a small extent

Indicates a limited or reduced impact.

FAQs

Is "barely of" grammatically correct?

No, "barely of" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use alternatives like "hardly any" or "scarcely any".

What can I say instead of "barely of"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "hardly any", "scarcely any", or "almost none".

Which is correct, "barely of" or "barely any"?

"Barely any" is the correct and grammatically accepted phrase. "Barely of" is generally considered incorrect.

How can I improve my sentence using "barely of"?

Replace "barely of" with a more grammatically sound phrase. For example, instead of "He was barely of drinking age", try "He was "just barely" of drinking age" or "He was "hardly of" drinking age (which, while closer, is still not ideal)". Consider rephrasing to something like, "He was almost underage."