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REFERENCE

hardly

adv. · interj.
US //ˈhɑɹdɫi// UK //hˈɑːdli// hard·ly
  1. 1 almost not (adv.)
    B1 Intermediate

    only just; almost not at all.

    to a very small degree; barely or scarcely. Often used with 'any' or 'ever' to emphasize a near-total absence.

    Example

    The music was so quiet that I could hardly hear it from the back.

    Example

    The fog was so dense that the driver could hardly discern the outlines of the oncoming vehicles until they were nearly upon him.

    Usage

    Usually placed before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb.

    Teacher's tip

    Learners often confuse this with the adverb 'hard'. Remind them that 'hardly' is about quantity or degree, not physical effort.
    Pitfall
    I didn't hardly see him.
    I hardly saw him.

    Hardly already has a negative meaning. Do not use it with 'not' or 'didn't' because it creates a double negative.

  2. 2 certainly not (adv.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    used to say that something is definitely not true or not likely.

    used to express emphatic negation or to suggest that a statement is unreasonable or improbable.

    Example

    You can hardly expect me to finish all this work by tonight.

    Example

    Given the current economic climate, one can hardly blame the investors for being cautious about such a speculative venture.

    Usage

    Often used at the beginning of a clause or before an adjective to challenge an assumption.
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  1. 3 I don't think so (interj.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    a casual way to say 'no' or 'I don't agree'.

    an informal reactive expression used to dismiss a suggestion or claim as being untrue or unlikely.

    Example

    "Are you going to help him after he was so rude?" "Hardly."

    Example

    "Do you think the team will win without their star player?" "Hardly; they haven't won a single game since he was injured."

    Teacher's tip

    This is often used as a one-word response in conversation to show skepticism.
    • not really
    • no way
Origin

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.

Idioms1 entry

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