Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Almost not; barely; scarcely: Used to indicate that something is only just true or possible, or that it happens only to a very small degree or extent.
   • Certainly not; not at all: Used to suggest that something is very unlikely or to strongly negate a statement.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • He hardly ever goes to the cinema. (It is very rare for him to go to the cinema.)
  • I hardly know her; we've only met once. (My knowledge of her is very minimal.)
  • There was hardly any food left after the party. (Almost no food remained.)
  • She had hardly arrived when the phone rang. (The phone rang almost immediately after her arrival.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hardly" with inversion: In formal or literary English, when "hardly" begins a clause referring to an event that is immediately followed by another, the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted.

  • Hardly had I sat down when the doorbell rang. (I had just sat down when the doorbell rang.)
  • Hardly was the meeting over before the arguments started again. (The arguments started again almost as soon as the meeting ended.)

• "Hardly" for emphasis or strong negation: Used to express that something is very difficult to believe or accept.

  • That's hardly a fair comparison. (That is not at all a fair comparison.)
  • You can hardly expect me to agree with that. (It is very unreasonable for you to expect my agreement.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hard (adj/adverb): The root word, meaning solid/firm, difficult, or with great effort.
• Hardness (n): The quality of being hard.

Synonyms

• Barely: Only just; almost not.
  • He could barely see in the dark.
• Scarcely: Only just; almost not. Often interchangeable with "hardly."
  • I scarcely had time to think.
• Almost not: A phrase with a very similar meaning.

Related Phrases

• Hardly ever: Very rarely.
  • I hardly ever eat fast food.
• Hardly any: Almost no; very little.
  • There's hardly any milk in the fridge.
• Hardly at all: To a very small degree; almost not.
  • The situation has improved, but hardly at all.

Notes on Usage

• Position in a sentence: "Hardly" typically comes before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb.
  • She hardly sleeps. (Before main verb)
  • He has hardly changed. (After auxiliary verb 'has')
• Avoiding double negatives: Do not use "hardly" with another negative word like "not" or "never."
  • Incorrect: I don't hardly know him.
  • Correct: I hardly know him.

Adverb

1. almost not
   • he hardly ever goes fishing
   • he was hardly more than sixteen years old
   • they scarcely ever used the emergency generator
2. only a very short time before
   • they could barely hear the speaker
   • we hardly knew them
   • just missed being hit
   • had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open
   • would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave- W.B.Yeats