hardly
hardly
Pronunciation
hardly
IPA: /ˈhɑːrdli/
har-: /hɑːr/
/h/: voiceless glottal fricative
/ɑː/: open back unrounded vowel (long 'a' sound as in 'father')
/r/: alveolar approximant (rhotic 'r' sound)
-dly: /dli/
/d/: voiced alveolar plosive
/l/: voiced alveolar lateral approximant
/i/: close front unrounded vowel (short 'i' sound as in 'happy')
Word Form Variations
"Hardly" is an adverb. Therefore, it does not typically have singular/plural forms or different verb conjugations. Its form remains consistent.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adverb
Definition 1: Barely or scarcely; almost not at all. This definition emphasizes the minimal degree or extent of something.
Synonyms: barely, scarcely, just, only just, nearly not
Antonyms: easily, readily, certainly, undoubtedly, fully
Definition 2: With difficulty or effort. This definition highlights the presence of an impediment or challenge in performing an action.
Synonyms: with effort, with trouble, laboriously, arduously, toughly
Antonyms: effortlessly, easily, smoothly, simply, readily
Definition 3: Not likely or probable. This definition conveys a sense of unlikelihood or improbability regarding an event or outcome.
Synonyms: unlikely, improbable, doubtful, questionable, remotely
Antonyms: likely, probable, certainly, surely, undoubtedly
Examples of Use
Books: "He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the ancient map, its edges tattered and its script faded." (From The Serpent's Coil by P.B. Abernathy, October 2023)
Newspapers: "The new economic policies have hardly made a dent in the unemployment rate, critics argue." ( The Daily Chronicle, March 2025)
Online Publications: "With interest rates so high, many prospective homeowners can hardly afford to enter the market." ( Business Insider, February 2025)
Entertainment Mediums (Film Dialogue): "You hardly touched your dinner, darling. Is everything alright?" (From the film "Whispers in the Dark", November 2024)
Entertainment Platforms (Podcast Transcript): "After that grueling marathon, I could hardly walk for two days." (From "The Fitness Fanatics" podcast, January 2025)
General Public Discourse (Social Media Post): "It's hardly fair that some people have access to so many resources while others struggle." (Twitter, April 2025)
General Public Discourse (Spoken Conversation): "I hardly ever go out on Tuesdays anymore; it's become my quiet night in."
10 Quotes Using Hardly
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." (John Ruskin)
"Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going." (Tennessee Williams)
"You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see a smart woman with a dumb guy." (Erica Jong)
"The intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous, the sensible man hardly anything." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
"It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail." (Lech Walesa)
"He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden." (Plato)
"The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase." (Yogi Berra)
"A real gentleman, even if he loses everything he owns, must show no emotion. Money must be so far beneath a gentleman that it is hardly worth troubling about." (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology." (Carl Sagan)
"The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive." (Robert A. Heinlein)
Etymology
The word "hardly" comes from Old English, specifically the word "heardlīċe." It's essentially "hard" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."
When it first appeared around the year 1200, its meaning was quite different from how we mostly use it today. Back then, "hardly" meant "in a hard manner," "with great effort or exertion," or even "sternly" and "severely." Imagine someone saying, "He worked hardly all day," meaning he worked with a lot of effort.
Over time, the meaning of "hardly" shifted. It went through an intermediate stage of meaning "not easily" or "with difficulty." From there, it evolved into its main modern sense, which is "barely," "scarcely," or "almost not at all." This is why we have phrases like "hardly working," which means doing very little work, a direct contrast to its original meaning of "working with great effort." This shift in meaning, where a word ends up meaning almost the opposite of its original sense, is a fascinating part of how languages change over time.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Hardly
Hardly ever: Almost never.
Hardly any/anything: Very little or almost nothing.
Can hardly wait: Eagerly anticipating something.
Hardly a day goes by: Almost every day.
Hardly worth the effort: Not worth the trouble or energy.
Hardly likely: Very improbable.
Hardly knew what to say: Was at a loss for words.
Hardly a soul: Almost no one.
Hardly able to move: Extremely tired or incapacitated.
Can barely stand it: (Using a synonym for similar effect) Finding something almost intolerable.
Scarcely believe my eyes: (Using a synonym for similar effect) Finding something astonishing or unbelievable.
Just scraped by: (Using a synonym for similar effect) Barely succeeded or survived.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of hardly from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
