hardly

 
Pronunciation: /ˈhɑːdli/

adverb

  • 1scarcely (used to qualify a statement by saying that it is true to an insignificant degree): the little house in which he lived was hardly bigger than a hut a thing hardly bigger than a credit card we hardly know each other
  • only a very short time before: the party had hardly started when the police arrived
  • only with great difficulty: she could hardly sit up I nodded, hardly able to breath
  • no or not (suggesting surprise at or disagreement with a statement): I hardly think so
  • 2 archaic harshly: the rule worked hardly

Phrases

hardly any

almost no: they sold hardly any books
almost none: hardly any had previous convictions

hardly ever

very rarely: we hardly ever see them

Words like hardly, scarcely, and rarely should not be used with negative constructions. Thus, it is correct to say I can hardly wait but incorrect to say I can’t hardly wait. This is because adverbs like hardly are treated as if they were negatives, and it is a well-known grammatical rule of standard English that double negatives (i.e. in this case having hardly and not in the same clause) are not acceptable. Words like hardly behave as negatives in other respects as well, as for example in combining with words like any or at all, which normally only occur where a negative is present (thus, standard usage is I’ve got hardly any money but not I’ve got any money). See also double negative (usage).