hardly

adverb

hard·​ly ˈhärd-lē How to pronounce hardly (audio)
Synonyms of hardlynext
1
a
—used to emphasize a minimal amount or degree
I hardly knew her. [=I didn't know her well at all.]
It's almost new—there's hardly a scratch [=there are almost no scratches] on it.
There's been hardly any [=almost no] news.
There's hardly any [=almost none] left.
Hardly anyone [=almost no one] showed up.
We hardly ever [=almost never] see you these days!
b
: by a narrow margin of time : only just
We've hardly begun.
c
: almost not
I can hardly believe it!
She was hardly able to control her excitement.
d
: certainly not
That news is hardly surprising.
That hardly seems fair. [=that certainly does not seem fair]
If you're satisfied with what you've got, you're hardly going to look for anything better.—Flannery O'Connor
e
informal
—used to soften a negative
… you can't hardly tell who anyone is or isn't.—George Bernard Shaw
2
dated : with difficulty : painfully
… where the means of existence was wrung so hardly from the soil …—Sir Winston Churchill
3
dated : in a severe manner : harshly
Things may go hardly with us … before the war is over.—Nevil Shute
… he ranted on in a towering passion of wrath and grief. … He believed himself hardly used indeed.—E. Barrington (Elizabeth Louisa Moresby Beck)
4
archaic : with force : vigorously
… earrings jangling down hardly on diminutive gold chains …—Osbert Sitwell
Can hardly be used with a negative?: Usage Guide

Hardly in sense 1d is used sometimes with not for emphasis.

Just another day at the office? Not hardly.

In sense 1e with a negative verb (such as can't, wouldn't, didn't) it does not make a double negative but softens the negative. In "you can't hardly find a red one," the sense is that you can find a red one, but only with difficulty; in "you can't find a red one," the sense is that red ones are simply not available. Use of hardly with a negative verb is a speech form; it is most commonly heard in Southern and Midland speech areas. In other speech areas and in all discursive prose, hardly is normally used with a positive.

You can hardly find a red one.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of hardly in a Sentence

It hardly matters what I think. The changes in service have hardly been noticed. There are hardly any new features in this software. Hardly anyone showed up for the meeting. Hardly a day goes by when I don't think about you. This is hardly a new idea for a movie. “Is this a new idea for a movie?” “Hardly! I've seen dozens of movies just like it.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My friend-finding mission was hardly a bust, though: The apps ended up introducing me to a range of people, from a scientist to a young mom. —Allie Volpe, Vox, 14 Nov. 2024 The new Magic Trackpad looks exactly the same as its predecessor, which is hardly a bad thing. —PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024 And the reality is that Russian aggression is hardly the biggest risk Trump faces. —Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024 This is hardly a new phenomenon, but given the perhaps naïve belief that there could be a blue wave in this election, this is especially disappointing to see. —Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hardly 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardly was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing hardly

Dictionary Entries Near hardly

hard-luck

hardly

hardly ever

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardly. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

hardly

adverb
hard·​ly ˈhärd-lē How to pronounce hardly (audio)
1
: in a severe or harsh manner
deal hardly with them
2
: with difficulty
a hardly won victory
3
: only just : barely, scarcely
we hardly knew them
4
: certainly not
that news is hardly surprising

More from Merriam-Webster on hardly

Nglish: Translation of hardly for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hardly for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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