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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�y��vlog 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.

"What Yorkshire Water have done is quite legal but it's not working. Some people have hardly got a supply."

From

His recent comments about wanting to leave to win trophies are hardly much help to them either.

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He was hardly the only person in the Palisades that felt that way.

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He says that John was dishevelled and confused: "He was just abandoned. He hardly went out of that room and it was in a terrible state."

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Charles Sherrard KC, defending, said: "He is a social misfit, someone who had hardly any friends at school, never had a girlfriend and seemed to be somebody who was avoided rather than somebody's mate."

From

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