barely passing

USAGE SUMMARY

"barely passing" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are talking about something that was barely successful or good enough. For example: "My grades were barely passing last semester, so I need to work harder this semester."

✓ Grammatically correct

Education

Politics

Infrastructure

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

Another 6 earned a D, barely passing.

The New York Times

By the end of the semester I was barely passing, despite having an A in every other class.

The New York Times

In terms of providing travel specific information like tips on lodging, dining and such, myskitrip.com gets barely passing grades.

The New York Times - Travel

A handful of regional institutions received the equivalent of barely passing grades — including SunTrust, Regions Financial, KeyCorp and Fifth Third.

The New York Times

In their first test without him, House Republicans showed signs of strain on Friday, barely passing an energy bill.

The New York Times

Tests showed he had a high intellect, but Mr. Kelly regularly skipped homework and was barely passing some of his classes in his early years of high school.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

18 human-written examples

Rocky barely passed go.

The New York Times - Science

"It barely passed it," Ren said indignantly.

The New Yorker

That's because Fetzer barely passed, literally.

The Guardian

It barely passed and does little to manage costs or rationalize medicine.

Social Science & Medicine

Americans barely passed, with a score of 60percentt.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "barely passing", ensure the context clearly indicates the minimal level of success or achievement. This phrase is effective for highlighting situations where performance is just adequate but not strong.

Common error

Avoid using "barely passing" when describing situations where performance is significantly below expectations. This phrase implies minimal competence, not outright failure. Use stronger terms like "failing" or "inadequate" when necessary.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely passing" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun or pronoun, or as part of a verb phrase. It describes the state of achieving a minimum level of success or acceptance. Ludwig's examples confirm its usage in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

25%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "barely passing" is a common and grammatically sound way to describe a situation where something has just met the minimum requirements for success or acceptance. Analysis of Ludwig's examples reveals its prevalent use in contexts such as education, politics, and infrastructure. Although the phrase is considered grammatically correct, it's important to use it judiciously to accurately portray the degree of success or competence being described.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

marginally passing

Synonymously replaces "barely" with "marginally".

narrowly succeeding

Replaces "passing" with "succeeding" and "barely" with "narrowly", indicating a close margin of success.

scraping through

Uses an idiomatic expression to convey the idea of managing to pass with difficulty.

just managing to pass

Adds "managing to" to emphasize the effort involved in barely passing.

only just passing

Replaces "barely" with "only just", keeping the core meaning intact.

minimally acceptable

Changes the structure to an adjective phrase, focusing on the level of acceptability.

making the grade by a hair

Uses a metaphor to illustrate the narrow margin of passing.

getting by with the skin of one's teeth

Employs an idiom to convey surviving a difficult situation.

meeting the minimum requirements

Focuses on fulfilling the lowest necessary standards.

squeaking by

Uses a colloquial term to express barely passing.

FAQs

How can I use "barely passing" in a sentence?

You can use "barely passing" to describe a situation where someone or something is just meeting the minimum requirements. For example, "The student was "barely passing" the class, but managed to improve by the end of the semester."

What is a synonym for "barely passing"?

A synonym for "barely passing" is "narrowly succeeding". Both phrases suggest achieving a minimal level of success.

Is it better to say "barely passing" or "slightly passing"?

"Barely passing" implies a greater degree of difficulty and a narrower margin of success compared to "slightly passing". The choice depends on the context and the level of emphasis you want to convey.

What does it mean when something is "barely passing muster"?

When something is "barely passing muster", it means it is "minimally acceptable" or just meeting the required standards. It implies there is little room for error and the quality is not high.