bare minimum
Just enough, barely
The bare minimum is the smallest amount that will satisfy a requirement—nothing extra, nothing beyond what's strictly necessary.
Someone doing the bare minimum at work completes assigned tasks but volunteers nothing more.
He put in the bare minimum effort to pass the class.
The phrase often carries a note of criticism, suggesting adequacy without enthusiasm.
- scantBarely adequate amount
- meagerDeficient in quantity
- modicumSmall, limited quantity
- essentialFundamentally necessary
- cutting cornersReducing effort improperly
lower bound · lowest common denominator · necessity · subsistence · scraping by · getting by · requisite · token · rudimentary · indispensable · acceptable · skeletal · borderline · basic · half-hearted · sparse · bottom of the line · tolerable
- half-measuresband-aid, token effort, lip service, stopgap, quick fix
- frugalityfrugality, thrift, frugal, penny-pinching, economize
- Must-Havesessentials, necessities, basics, needs, requirements
- necessitiesbasics, essentials, need, essential, needs
- requirementsrequirement, requirements, prerequisite, requisite, requisites
- emptinessemptiness, void, vacuum, nothingness, blank
bare minimumabundance
Ample supply, overflowing
maximum · surplus · excess · plenty · overabundance
bare minimummaximum effort
going the extra mile · above and beyond · going above and beyond · overachievement · pulling out all the stops
bare minimumgold standard
Measure of ultimate quality
excellence · optimal · top tier · premium quality · above and beyond
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