hardly

/ˈhɑːdli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrdli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhärd-lē/ (ame, mw)

hardly — adverb

1. if you hardly do something, you do it only a very small amount or almost not at

1.副詞不及物A2
釋義

if you hardly do something, you do it only a very small amount or almost not at all. For example, if you can hardly hear someone, you hear them but only just — the sound is very weak.

例句

Eliska was so exhausted after the race that she could hardly speak.

can/could hardly for difficulty

The old photograph had faded so much that Rania could hardly recognize anyone in it.

同義詞
  • barely

    more neutral; interchangeable in most 'almost not' contexts ('I barely know him')

  • scarcely

    slightly more formal than 'hardly' or 'barely'; common in written English

  • almost not

    not a single word but the closest paraphrase; useful for learners who find 'hardly' unfamiliar

反義詞
  • easily

    opposite in 'can/could hardly' contexts ('I could easily hear them' vs 'I could hardly hear them')

  • fully

    opposite when talking about degree ('I fully understand' vs 'I hardly understand')

文法句型

hardly + main verb

can/could + hardly + main verb

hardly + any/ever/at all

hardly + had + subject + past participle…when…

用法筆記

Position: 'hardly' goes before the main verb ('I hardly know him') but after 'be' or modal verbs ('He can hardly walk', 'She is hardly ready'). When 'hardly' opens a clause, subject and verb must invert ('Hardly had we left when…'). Common collocations include 'any', 'ever', and 'at all'. Do not add another negative word ('don't hardly' is incorrect — see common mistakes).

常見錯誤

❌He works hardly for his exams.
✅He works hard for his exams.
💡'hardly' means 'almost not', not the adverb form of 'hard' (which is 'hard').
❌I don't hardly know anyone at the party.
✅I hardly know anyone at the party.
💡'hardly' itself carries a negative meaning; adding 'don't' creates an incorrect double negative.
❌Hardly I finished eating when the phone rang.
✅Hardly had I finished eating when the phone rang.
💡when 'hardly' begins a sentence, the subject and verb must follow the inversion pattern (auxiliary verb + subject + main verb).

2. used to express strong disagreement or to say that something is clearly not true

2.副詞不及物B1
釋義

used to express strong disagreement or to say that something is clearly not true, not appropriate, or very unlikely. For example, if your friend suggests eating at a restaurant you hated, you might say 'I can hardly agree' — meaning you strongly disagree.

例句

This is hardly the best time to discuss budget cuts, right before the holiday.

hardly + noun phrase expressing rejection

It is hardly surprising that Yumi won the prize — she worked incredibly hard.

hardly surprising = not surprising at all

同義詞
  • certainly not

    more direct and emphatic; can sound blunt in polite conversation

  • by no means

    stronger and more formal; often used in formal writing ('This is by no means certain')

  • not at all

    more explicit negation; less subtle than 'hardly' for polite disagreement

反義詞
  • clearly

    opposite in truth-value contexts ('This is clearly the case' vs 'This is hardly the case')

  • definitely

    opposite in agreement contexts ('I definitely agree' vs 'I can hardly agree')

文法句型

hardly + be + noun phrase

hardly + be + adjective

can/could + hardly + verb (polite disagreement)

用法筆記

Common in the pattern 'hardly + be + noun/adjective' to assert that something is not the case ('This is hardly the place', 'That is hardly fair'). Often paired with 'surprising', 'necessary', 'the time', 'the person', or 'the place'. Distinguished from sense 1 (ALMOST NOT) in that sense 2 rejects a proposition entirely ('That is hardly true' = completely false), while sense 1 describes a near-zero degree ('I hardly know him' = I know him a little).

常見錯誤

❌This is hardly not true.
✅This is hardly true.
💡'hardly' already carries a negative meaning; do not add 'not'.
❌She hardly is the right person for the job.
✅She is hardly the right person for the job.
💡'hardly' goes after 'be', not before it.