HARDLY Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

hardly

[ hahrd-lee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

only just; almost not; barely:
We had hardly reached the lake when it started raining. hardly any; hardly ever.
not at all; scarcely:
That report is hardly surprising.
with little likelihood:
He will hardly come now.
forcefully or vigorously.
with pain or difficulty.
British. harshly or severely.
hard.

hardly

/ ˈ��ɑː��ɪ /

adverb

scarcely; barely
we hardly knew the family
just; only just
he could hardly hold the cup
ironic.
almost or probably not or not at all
he will hardly incriminate himself
with difficulty or effort
rare.
harshly or cruelly

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Usage Note

Hardly, barely, and scarcely all have a negative connotation, and the use of any of them with a negative like can't or couldn't is often condemned as a double negative and thus considered nonstandard: I can't hardly wait. Such constructions do occur occasionally in the speech of educated persons, often with jocular intent ( You can't hardly get that kind any more ) but are not found in formal speech or writing. When hardly in the sense “only just, almost not” is followed by a clause, the usual word to introduce the clause is when: The telephone had hardly stopped ringing when (not than ) the doorbell rang. double negative.

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Usage

Since hardly, scarcely, and barely already have negative force, it is redundant to use another negative in the same clause: he had hardly had (not he hadn't hardly had ) time to think; there was scarcely any (not scarcely no ) bread left

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of hardly¹

1175–1225; Middle English; Old English heardlice. See hard, -ly

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Synonym Study

Hardly, barely, scarcely imply a narrow margin by which performance was, is, or will be achieved. Hardly, though often interchangeable with scarcely and barely, usually emphasizes the idea of the difficulty involved: We could hardly endure the winter. Barely emphasizes the narrowness of the margin of safety, “only just and no more”: We barely succeeded. Scarcely implies a very narrow margin, below satisfactory performance: He can scarcely read.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"Everyone in Beijing was really nervous about it. Today there are hardly any people out on the streets. However, it wasn't as severe as I had imagined", a local resident told the Reuters news agency.

From

"The fear of deportation has deeply affected my mental and physical health. I can hardly sleep, my legs are in pain, and I cry constantly from fear and anxiety," she told the BBC.

From

Okay, you do technically have to put what you prepped into some sort of a vessel and add some liquid, but after that and hardly much more, you are free to roam.

From

Every few minutes she puffs discreetly from a vape pen when the server is out of sight; her phone lies screen down on the table, though she’s hardly vanquished the temptation to check her notifications.

From

Tammy added: "Some of the times he hit me I was so sore. I was black and blue. I could hardly walk or sit down. It was awful."

From

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