could barely do

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "could barely do" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a difficulty in performing a task or action, indicating that it was challenging to accomplish. Example: "After the long hike, I could barely do anything for the rest of the day."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

He could barely do his job.

The New Yorker

She could barely do that on two good legs.

The New York Times

Favre denied he gave his friend the sack, but he could barely do it with a straight face.

The New York Times - Sports

During physical therapy, "we would do a five-minute walk test and I could barely do the five minutes," she said.

The New York Times - Sports

It was a particular move that I could barely do even if my skin was good and I hadn't spent a week climbing to get there.

The Guardian - Travel

"You could barely do 'Rock the Baby' and your yo-yo would be dying," said Bill de Boisblanc, a national grandmaster who won the World Yo-Yo Contest in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Joseph Mutso-Bengo, a professor of bioethics at Malawi's College of Medicine, noted that nurses could barely make ends meet and asked, "Do we have the right to force them to stay?" But Anthony D. Harries, a British doctor who has lived and worked here for 15 years and advises the Health Ministry, called it immoral for Britain to allow the easy migration of Malawian nurses.

The New York Times

She acknowledges that her least complicated dishes — the "quite simple" stewed octopus with butter beans or lamb chops with chimichurri to which you "barely do a thing" — could be daunting (her word is "knotty") for the home cook.

The New Yorker

Moyes has the benefit of arriving at a time when Real Sociedad could barely be doing worse.

BBC

Currently a free agent after leaving French club Ajaccio, the Mexican played like a man in the shop window and could barely have done any more to attract the attention of clubs on the look-out for a new goalkeeper.

BBC

Conrad could barely remember doing all the coke they were supposed to sell.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "could barely do", ensure the context clearly establishes the reason for the difficulty. Providing context enhances clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "could barely do" when the action was simply inconvenient or undesirable, and not genuinely difficult. Use it to describe situations where there was a genuine near-impossibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "could barely do" functions as a verb phrase indicating a limited ability or near inability to perform a specific action. Ludwig confirms its correct grammatical structure and usability.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Formal & Business

10%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "could barely do" is a grammatically sound and usable expression indicating significant difficulty in performing an action. Ludwig confirms its accuracy. It appears most frequently in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, ensure the context clarifies the reason for the difficulty. While "could barely do" effectively communicates near-impossibility, related phrases like "could hardly do" or "was barely able to do" offer subtle variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could hardly do

Indicates a similar level of difficulty, suggesting the action was achieved with great effort.

was barely able to do

Emphasizes the limited ability to perform the action.

struggled to do

Highlights the effort and difficulty involved in performing the action.

found it difficult to do

Focuses on the perceived difficulty of the task.

could scarcely do

A more formal way of expressing near-impossibility.

was hard-pressed to do

Indicates significant pressure or challenge in performing the action.

barely managed to do

Highlights the successful completion of the action despite the difficulty.

was on the verge of not being able to do

Emphasizes the proximity to complete inability.

almost couldn't do

Directly states the near-failure to perform the action.

had a tough time doing

More informal way to describe difficulties with performing some action.

FAQs

How to use "could barely do" in a sentence?

Use "could barely do" to indicate that someone had great difficulty performing an action, almost to the point of being unable to do it. For example, "After the marathon, she "could barely walk"".

What can I say instead of "could barely do"?

You can use alternatives like "could hardly do", "was barely able to do", or "struggled to do" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "could barely do" or "couldn't barely do"?

"Could barely do" is correct. "Couldn't barely do" is a double negative and grammatically incorrect. The word "barely" already implies a negative condition.

What's the difference between "could barely do" and "could easily do"?

"Could barely do" means something was very difficult to accomplish, almost impossible. "Could easily do" means something was very simple and required little effort.