hardly
adv. degreeadv. almost not at all. You use this when you want to say that something is only just true or barely happens.
adv. to a very small degree; almost not. Used to emphasize that a statement is only just true or that an action is barely performed.
I can hardly hear you over the loud music.
We had hardly finished our lunch when the waiter brought the bill and asked us to leave.
The evidence presented was so thin that it could hardly be considered a serious basis for a legal challenge, let alone a full investigation.
From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard + -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich.
Typically placed before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb. Often used with 'any', 'ever', or 'at all' to emphasize a negative sense.
I didn't hardly sleep last nightI hardly slept last nightHardly already has a negative meaning; using it with 'not' or 'didn't' creates a double negative, which is incorrect in standard English.