1.
barely, narrowly, just
Managing to do something by a very small margin, with difficulty.
辛うじて is an adverb meaning "barely" or "narrowly," emphasizing that something was achieved with great difficulty.
NUANCE:
Implies that failure/disaster was very close and success came only by a small margin. Often used for near-misses or last-minute saves.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 辛うじて間に合う: to barely make it in time
- 辛うじて合格する: to barely pass
- 辛うじて逃れる: to narrowly escape
- 辛うじて助かる: to barely survive
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
Related Words
Synonym:
ぎりぎり (just barely (casual))
Contrast:
やっと (finally (effort))
Synonym:
何とか (somehow, barely)