hardly

hardly
hard|ly
W2S2 [ˈha:dli US ˈha:rdli] adv
1.) almost not
▪ My parents divorced when I was six, and I hardly knew my father.
▪ The children were so excited they could hardly speak.
▪ I can hardly believe it.
▪ Hardly anyone (=almost no one) writes to me these days.
▪ Dad ate hardly anything (=almost nothing) .
▪ There was hardly any (=very little) traffic.
▪ She lives in Spain, so we hardly ever (=almost never) see her.
hardly a day/week/month etc goes by without/when
(=used to say that something happens almost every day, week etc)
▪ Hardly a month goes by without another factory closing down.
see usage note ↑rarely
2.) used to mean 'not', when you are suggesting that the person you are speaking to will agree with you
▪ It's hardly surprising that she won't answer his calls after the way he's treated her.
▪ You can hardly blame Tom for not waiting.
▪ My boss could hardly be described as handsome.
hardly the time/place/person etc
(=a very unsuitable time, place, person)
▪ This is hardly the place to discuss the matter.
3.) used to say that something has only just happened
▪ The serious building work has hardly begun.
hardly ... when/before
▪ She had hardly sat down when the phone rang.
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GRAMMAR
Do not use hardly with a negative word : I can hardly believe he said that (NOT I can't hardly believe he said that). | There's hardly any milk left (NOT There's hardly no milk left).
Use hardly just before the main verb : He could hardly speak (NOT He hardly could speak).
Do not use hardly at the beginning of a sentence, except in very formal writing : I had hardly got in the house when the phone rang is the usual way to say this. It is possible to say |Hardly had I got in the house when the phone rang but this is very formal
!! Do not use hardly as the adverb of hard . The adverb of hard is hard : I tried hard to remember (NOT I tried hardly to remember). | Students have to study very hard (NOT Students have to study very hardly).
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Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hardly — Hard ly (h[aum]rd l[y^]), adv. [AS. heardlice. See {Hard}.] [1913 Webster] 1. In a hard or difficult manner; with difficulty. [1913 Webster] Recovering hardly what he lost before. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. Unwillingly; grudgingly. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hardly — (adv.) c.1200, in a hard manner, with great exertion or effort, from O.E. heardlic stern, severe, harsh; bold, warlike (see HARD (Cf. hard) + LY (Cf. ly) (2)). Hence assuredly, certainly (early 14c.). Main modern sense of barely, just (1540s)… …   Etymology dictionary

  • hardly — [härd′lē] adv. [ME hardliche < OE heardlice] 1. Now Rare a) with effort or difficulty b) severely; harshly 2. only just; barely; scarcely: often used ironically or politely to mean “not quite,” or “not at all” [hardly the person to ask] 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • hardly — [adv] scarcely; with difficulty almost inconceivably, almost not, barely, by a hair, by no means, comparatively, detectably, faintly, gradually, imperceptibly, infrequently, just, little, no more than, not a bit, not at all, not by much, not… …   New thesaurus

  • hardly — ► ADVERB 1) scarcely; barely. 2) only with great difficulty. 3) no or not (suggesting surprise at or disagreement with a statement) …   English terms dictionary

  • hardly — adverb 1 almost not: I hadn t seen him for years but he had hardly changed at all. | can/could hardly do sth: The children were so excited they could hardly speak. | I can hardly believe it. | hardly anyone/anything (=almost no one or almost… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • hardly — hard|ly [ hardli ] adverb *** Hardly is a negative word and is often used with words like any and ever, but it should not be used with other negative words: We hardly ever do anything interesting. Hardly comes before the main verb of a sentence,… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • hardly */*/*/ — UK [ˈhɑː(r)dlɪ] / US [ˈhɑrdlɪ] adverb Summary: Hardly is a negative word and is often used with words like any and ever , but it should not be used with other negative words: We hardly ever do anything interesting. Hardly comes before the main… …   English dictionary

  • hardly — [[t]hɑ͟ː(r)dli[/t]] ♦♦ 1) ADV BRD NEG: ADV before v, ADV group, oft ADV amount (emphasis) You use hardly to modify a statement when you want to emphasize that it is only a small amount or detail which makes it true, and that therefore it is best… …   English dictionary

  • hardly — 01. They [hardly] ever go out; maybe once a month at most. 02. I [hardly] recognized you with your new haircut. 03. My daughter can [hardly] remember Quebec City because she was very little when we lived there. 04. Your father [hardly] slept at… …   Grammatical examples in English

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