barely over half

USAGE SUMMARY

"barely over half" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to describe a quantity that is only slightly more than half, often in a comparative or comparative-like context. Example: "The team had been struggling all season, but they managed to win barely over half of their games." This sentence implies that the team's winning record was just slightly better than a 50% success rate.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

2008 saw 360.6 million units, barely over half of the numbers in 2000.

TechCrunch

Even just a year ago it was barely over half its current size, and far from being an institutionalized communication utility.

TechCrunch

Indeed, barely over half of all families in the 55 to 64 group reported to the Fed that they saved money in 2010.

Huffington Post

Researchers at the Washington, D.C.-based think tank conducted a survey of freshmen at a "selective four-year public university" in the northeast and found that barely over half were able to correctly say what they paid for their first year of college.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

That figure, however, barely exceeds the annual sales of Royal Dutch/Shell and ChevronTexaco and is just over half the revenues of BP and ExxonMobil, all of which buy and sell oil and refine it, too.

Forbes

Just over half.

The New Yorker

Now it is barely over half.In Greece, Portugal and Ireland, Spain's "sweet bail-out" raised some hackles and some hopes.

The Economist

That figure has barely changed in over half a century, although most of the track has been rendered redundant, as political turmoil and massive corruption have taken their toll.

BBC

Although barely half-over, 2017 has already seen several high-profile court decisions on the interplay between gerrymandering and race.

Huffington Post

Still not quite there, but the day was barely half over!

The New York Times

By 1549 Montejo had succeeded in establishing Spanish rule over barely half the peninsula, but it was never extended farther.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "barely over half", ensure the context clearly indicates what the "half" refers to. For example, "Barely over half of the respondents agreed with the proposal."

Common error

Avoid using "barely over half" when the quantity is significantly more than half. This phrase is meant to convey a slight difference, not a substantial one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely over half" functions as a quantifier, specifically indicating a proportion slightly exceeding 50%. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct. Examples show its use in describing proportions related to sales, populations, or survey results.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "barely over half" is a grammatically sound and useful quantifier for expressing that a proportion is only slightly more than 50%. Ludwig AI supports this, providing real-world examples demonstrating its usage across various contexts. Although not extremely common, the phrase is well-suited for neutral and informative writing, particularly in news and business contexts, offering a more nuanced way to describe quantities compared to simply saying "more than half". When precision matters, "barely over half" effectively communicates the closeness to the halfway mark.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

just over half

Indicates a quantity only slightly exceeding half.

slightly more than half

Highlights the small margin above 50%.

a little over half

Emphasizes the small amount beyond the halfway point.

marginally over half

Stresses the minimal difference from being exactly half.

fractionally above half

Highlights the slight increase over the 50% mark.

a shade over half

Suggests a very small degree above half.

scarcely more than half

Similar to barely but uses 'scarcely' for emphasis.

hardly over half

Emphasizes that the amount is only negligibly above half.

only just over half

Adds emphasis to the minimal excess above half.

by a whisker over half

Uses an idiom to highlight how close it is to being exactly half.

FAQs

How can I use "barely over half" in a sentence?

Use "barely over half" to describe a quantity that is slightly more than 50%. For example, "Barely over half of the students passed the exam".

What phrases are similar to "barely over half"?

Alternatives include "just over half", "slightly more than half", or "a little over half".

Is it correct to say "almost half" instead of "barely over half"?

While both phrases relate to the 50% mark, "almost half" means slightly less than half, while "barely over half" means slightly more than half. They are not interchangeable.

What is the difference between "barely over half" and "more than half"?

"More than half" indicates any amount greater than 50%, whereas "barely over half" specifies it's only a small amount more. The former is less precise than the latter.