еле

нареч.

1) (с трудом) hardly; only just

он е́ле дви́гался — he could hardly move

он е́ле по́днял э́то — he could hardly lift it

он е́ле спа́сся — he had a narrow escape; (от рд.) he only just escaped (+ ger)

он е́ле но́ги унёс — it was a close shave; he had a narrow / hairbreadth escape

2) (едва вовремя) hardly, scarcely, barely

он е́ле успе́л зако́нчить, как — hardly / scarcely had he finished when; no sooner had he finished than

он е́ле успе́л потуши́ть пла́мя — he only just had time to put out the fire

3) (почти не) almost not

следы́ бы́ли е́ле видны́ — the tracks were almost undistinguishable

••

е́ле живо́й — more dead than alive