hardly
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adv.only just; almost not at all.
adv.to a very small degree; barely or scarcely. Often used with 'any' or 'ever' to emphasize a near-total absence.
Simple“The music was so quiet that I could hardly hear it from the back.”
In context“The fog was so dense that the driver could hardly discern the outlines of the oncoming vehicles until they were nearly upon him.”
UsageUsually placed before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse this with the adverb 'hard'. Remind them that 'hardly' is about quantity or degree, not physical effort.
PitfallI 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.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.used to say that something is definitely not true or not likely.
adv.used to express emphatic negation or to suggest that a statement is unreasonable or improbable.
Simple“You can hardly expect me to finish all this work by tonight.”
In context“Given the current economic climate, one can hardly blame the investors for being cautious about such a speculative venture.”
UsageOften used at the beginning of a clause or before an adjective to challenge an assumption.
Synonymsscarcelydefinitely notAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
interj.a casual way to say 'no' or 'I don't agree'.
interj.an informal reactive expression used to dismiss a suggestion or claim as being untrue or unlikely.
Simple“"Are you going to help him after he was so rude?" "Hardly."”
In context“"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 tipThis is often used as a one-word response in conversation to show skepticism.
hardly vs hard — Hard describes the intensity or effort of an action, while hardly indicates that an action almost never happens or barely occurs.
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.