1.
barely; meagerly; scraping by
In a thin, modest way that barely continues — used of a livelihood, business, or activity that just manages to keep going.
細々と暮らす。
To live modestly.
店を細々と続けている。
We keep the shop going, just barely.
年金だけで細々と生活している。
They scrape by on their pension alone.
Describes something continuing only on a small, barely-sustained scale. Often paired with 続ける, 暮らす, or 生活する.
Note the reading: as an adverb of 'barely' it is ほそぼそと; the same characters read こまごまと mean 'in fine detail.'
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 細々と暮らす: to live a modest, hand-to-mouth life
- 細々と続ける: to keep something going on a small scale
SIMILAR WORDS:
- かろうじて: barely; only just — emphasizes a narrow margin, not an ongoing modest scale
- つつましく: modestly; frugally — a positive nuance of restraint