WordGarden.iohardly
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈɑːdli/
US
- /ˈhɑrdli/
Meanings
Adverb
almost not, or only to a very small degree
used to reject something emphatically as not true or not likely
used with when or before to mean immediately after something happened
Beyond the definition
"Hardly" suggests that something is almost not true, or true only in a very small amount. Imagine you've been working on a puzzle for hours and have hardly made any progress. It means you've barely moved forward. It often adds a negative sense, like saying you "hardly know anyone" at a new school, meaning you know very few people. You also hear it in phrases like "hardly ever," which means very rarely: "He hardly ever smiles" suggests he almost never smiles. Think of it as a way to show that something is very limited or nearly absent.
"Hardly" is an adverb that means barely, scarcely, or almost not. It shows that something is true only to a very small degree, or that it almost does not happen at all. Its usage often carries a slight sense of surprise, limitation, or disappointment.
You might say, "I could hardly believe my eyes!" meaning you were astonished because something was so unexpected. Or, "We've hardly any time left," implying there's very little remaining. It can also express a lack of knowledge or connection: "I hardly know him" means your acquaintance is minimal.
"Hardly" functions as a negative word, which is why it often appears with words like "any" or "at all." For example, "She hardly ate anything at dinner" suggests she ate very little. It's important to note that "hardly" is not the same as "hard." "Hard" relates to effort or difficulty, but "hardly" means almost not. It is also not always interchangeable with "hardly ever." "Hardly ever" specifically means rarely, while "hardly" by itself emphasizes the small degree to which something is true in a particular case.
Think of it like this: if you barely manage to catch a bus, you can say you "hardly made it." It's about the narrow margin between success and failure, or the minimal extent of something existing. So when you want to express that something is almost not happening, or exists in very small measure, reach for "hardly."
Examples
- 1
Hearing
I could hardly hear her over the music.
- 2
Social contact
We hardly see each other these days.
- 3
Frequency
He's hardly ever at home before midnight.
- Phrasehardly ever
almost never
- 4
Traffic amount
There was hardly any traffic this morning.
- Phrasehardly any
almost none
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Disbelief
I can hardly believe she remembered my birthday.
- 6
Expected outcome
It was hardly a surprise when they announced the delay.
- 7
Sympathy
You can hardly blame him for being upset.
- Phrasecan hardly blame someone
it is understandable why they acted that way
- 8
Immediate sequence
I had hardly sat down when the phone rang.
- Patternhardly ... when
something happened almost immediately after something else
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- hardlyadverb