hardly
♦♦ hard|ly /h'ɑːrdli/
1 [ADV] ADV before v, ADV group, oft ADV amount
You use hardly to modify a statement when you want to emphasize that it is only a small amount or detail which makes it true, and that therefore it is best to consider the opposite statement as being true.
I hardly know you...
Their two faces were hardly more than eighteen inches apart.
= scarcely, barely
2 [ADV] ADV ever/any
You use hardly in expressions such as hardly ever, hardly any, and hardly anyone to mean almost never, almost none, or almost no-one.
We ate chips every night, but hardly ever had fish...
Most of the others were so young they had hardly any experience...
3 [ADV] ADV n
You use hardly before a negative statement in order to emphasize that something is usually true or usually happens.
Hardly a day goes by without a visit from someone.
= scarcely
4 [ADV] can/could ADV inf
When you say you can hardly do something, you are emphasizing that it is very difficult for you to do it.
My garden was covered with so many butterflies that I could hardly see the flowers.
5 [ADV] ADV before v
If you say hardly had one thing happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second.
He had hardly collected the papers on his desk when the door burst open...
= no sooner
6 [ADV] ADV before v, ADV group
You use hardly to mean `not' when you want to suggest that you are expecting your listener or reader to agree with your comment.
We have not seen the letter, so we can hardly comment on it...
7 [CONVENTION]
You use `hardly' to mean `no', especially when you want to express surprise or annoyance at a statement that you disagree with. (SPOKEN)
`They all thought you were marvellous!'--`Well, hardly.'...
1 [ADV] ADV before v, ADV group, oft ADV amount
You use hardly to modify a statement when you want to emphasize that it is only a small amount or detail which makes it true, and that therefore it is best to consider the opposite statement as being true.
I hardly know you...
Their two faces were hardly more than eighteen inches apart.
= scarcely, barely
2 [ADV] ADV ever/any
You use hardly in expressions such as hardly ever, hardly any, and hardly anyone to mean almost never, almost none, or almost no-one.
We ate chips every night, but hardly ever had fish...
Most of the others were so young they had hardly any experience...
3 [ADV] ADV n
You use hardly before a negative statement in order to emphasize that something is usually true or usually happens.
Hardly a day goes by without a visit from someone.
= scarcely
4 [ADV] can/could ADV inf
When you say you can hardly do something, you are emphasizing that it is very difficult for you to do it.
My garden was covered with so many butterflies that I could hardly see the flowers.
5 [ADV] ADV before v
If you say hardly had one thing happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second.
He had hardly collected the papers on his desk when the door burst open...
= no sooner
6 [ADV] ADV before v, ADV group
You use hardly to mean `not' when you want to suggest that you are expecting your listener or reader to agree with your comment.
We have not seen the letter, so we can hardly comment on it...
7 [CONVENTION]
You use `hardly' to mean `no', especially when you want to express surprise or annoyance at a statement that you disagree with. (SPOKEN)
`They all thought you were marvellous!'--`Well, hardly.'...