barely; narrowly; with difficulty
Describes managing to do something by a very small margin, often with a sense of relief or precariousness. Literary and somewhat old-fashioned; in modern speech かろうじて or やっとのことで are more common.
He barely caught the last train.
I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth.
Kana spelling is the most common and practical form for learners.
Repetition mark variant of 辛辛.
Reduplication of 辛 (から, 'harsh, difficult'), emphasizing the idea of barely managing something. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.