hardly
[ hahrd-lee ]
/ ˈhɑrd li /
adverb
synonym study for hardly
1.
Hardly,
barely,
scarcely imply a narrow margin by which performance was, is, or will be achieved.
Hardly, though often interchangeable with
scarcely and
barely, usually emphasizes the idea of the difficulty involved:
We could hardly endure the winter.
Barely emphasizes the narrowness of the margin of safety, “only just and no more”:
We barely succeeded.
Scarcely implies a very narrow margin, below satisfactory performance:
He can scarcely read.
usage note for hardly
1, 3.
Hardly,
barely, and
scarcely all have a negative connotation, and the use of any of them with a negative like
can't or
couldn't is often condemned as a double negative and thus considered nonstandard:
I can't hardly wait. Such constructions do occur occasionally in the speech of educated persons, often with jocular intent (
You can't hardly get that kind any more ) but are not found in formal speech or writing. When
hardly in the sense “only just, almost not” is followed by a clause, the usual word to introduce the clause is
when: The telephone had hardly stopped ringing when (not
than )
the doorbell rang. See also
double negative.
Words nearby hardly
Example sentences from the Web for hardly
British Dictionary definitions for hardly
hardly
/ (ˈhɑːdlɪ) /
adverb
scarcely; barely
we hardly knew the family
just; only just
he could hardly hold the cup
often ironic
almost or probably not or not at all
he will hardly incriminate himself
with difficulty or effort
rare
harshly or cruelly
usage for hardly
Since
hardly, scarcely, and
barely already have negative force, it is redundant to use another negative in the same clause:
he had hardly had (not
he hadn't hardly had)
time to think; there was scarcely any (not
scarcely no)
bread left