hardly
gb/hˈɑɹdli/ us/hˈɑɹdli/
A2
English
~ 1200
alig, alighogy
A2
1
alig
A2
Usage pattern:
hardly [verb]
I can hardly hear you over the noise.
Alig hallak a zajtól.
She hardly spoke during the meeting.
Alig beszélt az értekezlet alatt.
We hardly have enough time to finish this project.
It's hardly surprising that they lost the game.
Learner examples
I hardly know him.
Alig ismerem.
She hardly eats any sweets.
Alig eszik édességet.
We hardly have any milk left.
He hardly talks in class.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hardly' with 'with difficulty.' In modern English, 'hardly' usually means 'almost not,' not 'with hard effort.'
Meaning
Almost not at all
Collocations
hardly ever
|hardly noticeable
|hardly worth it
|hardly enough
Synonyms
barely (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable, but 'barely' can sometimes sound slightly more formal or emphatic.)
Antonyms
easily (Opposite in the sense of something being done with no difficulty instead of almost not at all.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say that something is almost not true or happens very little.
Used to emphasize that something is only just true, or is true to a very small degree.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
hardly [past perfect verb] when [past tense clause]
I had hardly sat down when the phone rang.
Alighogy leültem, máris megszólalt a telefon.
She had hardly started her speech before the fire alarm went off.
Alighogy elkezdte a beszédét, máris megszólalt a tűzjelző.
We had hardly arrived when it began to rain.
Learner examples
I had hardly eaten when he called.
Alighogy befejeztem az evést, máris felhívott.
She had hardly begun when it was time to stop.
Alighogy elkezdte, máris abba kellett hagynia.
We had hardly left when it started to snow.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the simple past. This pattern often uses the past perfect for the first clause and past tense for the second.
Meaning
Only a short time ago
Collocations
had hardly begun
|hardly finished
|hardly started
Synonyms
scarcely (Very similar meaning; 'scarcely' is slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
long before (Indicates much more time between two events, opposite of 'only just before.')
Themes
daily life
|storytelling
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say something happened not long before another thing.
Used to say that something happened only a short time before another event.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hardly
IPA
GB/hˈɑɹdli/
US/hˈɑɹdli/
Syllables & stress
hardly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hardly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hardly
- Plural: hardlies
Word family
Expressions
can hardly wait
1/kən hˈɑɹdli wˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
Very eager for something
Used to say you are very excited about something that will happen soon.
Examples
- I can hardly wait for the weekend to arrive.
- She can hardly wait to see her family again.
could hardly believe
1/kˈʊd hˈɑɹdli bɪlˈiv/
fixed phrase
Almost unable to believe
Used to say you found something very surprising or hard to accept as true.
Examples
- I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the price.
- He could hardly believe she had won the race.
hardly ever
1/hˈɑɹdli ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
Almost never
Used to say that something happens very rarely.
Examples
- I hardly ever go to the cinema these days.
- She hardly ever eats chocolate.
- She hardly ever eats meat.