almost; nearly; barely; just in time
Used to describe a situation where something almost happened (often negative) but was narrowly avoided, or something barely succeeded. Typically followed by a verb in the past tense or a conditional expression.
I almost missed the train.
I barely escaped the accident.
I just barely passed the exam.
すんでのところで is a more dramatic, literary way of saying 'just barely', while 危うく is the common everyday choice.
すんでのところで is an adverbial phrase meaning 'just barely', whereas 間一髪 is a noun that can be used as a subject or modifier as well as in adverbial phrases.
Most common spelling; the word is usually written in kana, but 所 is often retained.
Rarely used kanji form.
Search-only kanji form.
The phrase is composed of すんで (from the verb 済む 'to finish, to be over') + の (possessive particle) + 所 (ところ 'place, moment') + で (particle). It literally means 'at the moment of being finished/over', implying a critical juncture where something almost concluded (often badly) but was narrowly avoided.