it has barely been

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it has barely been" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that a small amount of time has passed since a particular event or situation occurred. Example: "It has barely been a week since we last met, and I already miss our conversations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

The shadow of Get Out over the movie is so distracting that it has barely been able to establish its own identity, aside from being considered more bro-y and less horror sci-fy than its now famous predecessor.

Vice

Yet it has barely been touched.

The Economist

At Cabinet, it has barely been discussed.

Independent

But it has barely been discussed.

The New Yorker

It has barely been touched since.

The New York Times

Here in the United States, though, it has barely been noticed, which is a shame.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Before Turner came along, it had barely been tried.

The Economist

And the two people who own it have barely been home in more than a decade.

The New York Times

Marnie's tasted like it had barely been in a wok — starting out almost souplike, until the noodles began absorbing the light but spicy sauce of chicken stock with lime juice.

The New York Times

People that knew Brian and I told me that it seemed like we'd been a couple for years -- when, in reality, it had barely been a few months.

Huffington Post

i'm not sure, but i couldn't look at her. last time i did it, i had barely been conscious of my body, it was like a total out-of-body experience.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it has barely been" to emphasize the short duration since an event or to downplay the extent of an action. This phrasing adds a subtle nuance of recency or insignificance to your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "it has barely been" when the context requires a stronger emphasis on the importance of the time that has passed. In such cases, opt for a phrase that acknowledges the significance of the duration, however short.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it has barely been" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to indicate the degree or extent to which an action has occurred or a state has existed. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

30%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it has barely been" is a grammatically correct and relatively common way to express that only a short amount of time has passed since something occurred. As Ludwig AI points out, this phrase is most frequently found in news and media sources, as well as scientific publications. When using this phrase, be mindful of the need to emphasize the recency or insignificance of the time frame.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it has scarcely been

Replaces "barely" with "scarcely", emphasizing the minimal amount of time passed.

it has hardly been

Substitutes "barely" with "hardly", conveying a similar sense of limited time or action.

it has just been

Uses "just" instead of "barely", indicating immediacy and recent occurrence.

it has only just been

Combines "only" and "just" for added emphasis on the immediacy.

it has only recently been

Adds "only recently" to emphasize the newness or recency of the event.

it has newly been

Emphasizes the novelty of the action or state.

it has infrequently been

Shifts the focus to the lack of frequency rather than recentness.

it has seldom been

Highlights the rarity of the event's occurrence.

it has marginally been

Focuses on the slight degree or extent of something.

it has slightly been

Indicates that something has occurred to a small extent.

FAQs

How can I use "it has barely been" in a sentence?

Use "it has barely been" to indicate that very little time has passed since something occurred. For example, "It has barely been a week since the conference ended".

What are some alternatives to saying "it has barely been"?

Alternatives include phrases like "it has hardly been", "it has scarcely been", or "it has just been", all of which convey a similar meaning of recent occurrence or minimal impact.

Is "it has barely been" grammatically correct?

Yes, the phrase "it has barely been" is grammatically sound and commonly used in English writing and speech.

Which is more emphatic, "it has barely been" or "it has hardly been"?

Both phrases are quite similar in emphasis. "It has hardly been" might carry a slightly stronger sense of something being challenging or difficult, while "it has barely been" focuses more on the minimal passage of time. The difference is subtle and often context-dependent.