hardly

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard +‎ -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɑːdli/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhɑɹdli/ === Adverb === hardly (comparative hardlier or more hardly, superlative hardliest or most hardly) (degree) Barely, only just, almost not. Certainly not; not at all. (now rare) With difficulty. , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.234: And what gentle flame soever doth warme the heart of young virgins, yet are they hardly drawne to leave and forgoe their mothers, to betake them to their husbands […]. (manner, dated) Harshly, severely; in a hard manner. (manner, obsolete) Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion. , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.148: Let him hardly be possest with an honest curiositie to search out the nature and causes of all things […]. ==== Usage notes ==== In the modern sense "barely", it occurs before the verb, and is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never. Compare example sentence with I almost never watch television Because of the anomalous sense of this word, expressions such as "hardly working" have an opposite meaning to what the etymology ("hard" + "-ly") would suggest. "Working hard" suggests that considerable work is being done, whereas "hardly working" suggests that very little work is being done. ==== Synonyms ==== (barely, almost not or not quite): barely, just, only just, scarcely ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Interjection === hardly Not really. === References === “hardly”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.