Russian Etymology Reduplication of е́ле (jéle). Pronunciation IPA(key): [ˈjelʲɪ ˈjelʲɪ] IPA(key): [ˈjelʲe ˈjelʲe] Adverb е́ле-е́ле • (jéle-jéle) hardly, scarcely, barely slightly with (great) difficultyWikiwand - on Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.