hardly
7 synonyms and 3 antonyms for hardly, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adv — Barely; only just; almost not at all.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
only just
almost not
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adv
Barely; only just; almost not at all.
“I could hardly hear him over the noise.”
Opposites
2. adv
With great difficulty.
“They hardly managed to finish the climb before dark.”
Opposites
How to use hardly
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
hardly ever
hardly any
hardly surprising
Etymology
From Old English heardlīċe, built from hard + -ly; it originally meant "boldly" or "without ease" before narrowing to today's sense of "barely."
Full origin of hardly →Frequently asked questions
What does “hardly” mean?
The word “hardly” means barely; only just; almost not at all. In plain terms, "Barely" or "almost not" — a soft way of saying something is nearly not true.
How do you pronounce “hardly”?
“Hardly” is pronounced HAHD-lee (/ˈhɑɹdli/ in IPA).
How do you use “hardly” in a sentence?
Here is “hardly” used in a sentence: “I could hardly hear him over the noise.”
What part of speech is “hardly”?
“Hardly” is an adverb.
Where does the word “hardly” come from?
The word “hardly” comes from Old English. From Old English heardlīċe, built from hard + -ly; it originally meant "boldly" or "without ease" before narrowing to today's sense of "barely.".
Is “hardly” a common word?
“Hardly” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “hardly” have?
“Hardly” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: barely; only just; almost not at all.
What is the difference between 'hardly' and 'hard'?
Despite sharing a root, they mean very different things. "Hard" describes effort or difficulty, as in "she worked hard." "Hardly" means barely or almost not at all, as in "she hardly worked." Notice that "hardly" is close to the opposite of working hard, which is exactly why the two are so easily confused.
Does 'hardly' mean the same as 'not'?
Not quite. "Hardly" means almost not at all, leaving a tiny margin, whereas "not" is a flat negative. "I hardly slept" means you slept very little, not that you had no sleep whatsoever. It does carry a strong negative sense, though, and behaves as a negative word within a sentence.
What is an example of 'hardly' in a sentence?
You might say "I could hardly believe my eyes," meaning you almost could not believe them, or "there was hardly any milk left," meaning very little remained. It often pairs with "any," "ever," or "at all," as in "he hardly ever calls," to stress how small or rare something is.
