hard - hardly

hard - hardly: ◊ 'hard'

Hard can be used as an adjective or an adverb, often with a similar meaning.

They have so much hard work to do.

Many old people have worked hard all their lives.
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◊ 'hardly'

Hardly is an adverb. It has a totally different meaning from hard. You use hardly to say that something is only just true.

I hardly knew him.

You hardly look old enough.
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If you use an auxiliary or modal with hardly, you put the auxiliary or modal first. You say, for example, `I can hardly see'. You do not say `I hardly can see'.

Two years before, the wall had hardly existed.

She can hardly wait to begin.

We could hardly move.
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◊ WARNING

You do not use `not' with hardly. You do not say, for example, `I did not hardly know him'. You say `I hardly knew him'.
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Hardly is sometimes used in longer structures to say that one thing happened immediately after another.

The local police had hardly finished their examination when the CID arrived.
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Note that in structures like these you use when, not `than'. You do not say, for example, `The local police had hardly finished their examination than the CID arrived'.
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In stories, hardly is sometimes put at the beginning of a sentence, followed by `had' and the subject.

Hardly had he uttered the words when he began laughing.
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◊ 'hardly ever'

If something hardly ever happens, it almost never happens.

I hardly ever spoke to them.

Daisy had women friends whom Tim hardly ever met.
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Many other words and expressions can be used to say how frequently something happens. For a graded list, see section on frequency in entry at ↑ Adverbials.
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hard — hard, hardly 1. The normal adverb from hard is hard, as in They are working hard and Don t hit it so hard. Hardly has a special use, meaning ‘scarcely’ (as in We hardly know them) and ‘only with difficulty’ (as in She could hardly speak). 2.… … Modern English usage
hardly — hard, hardly 1. The normal adverb from hard is hard, as in They are working hard and Don t hit it so hard. Hardly has a special use, meaning ‘scarcely’ (as in We hardly know them) and ‘only with difficulty’ (as in She could hardly speak). 2.… … Modern English usage
hardly — hard|ly W2S2 [ˈha:dli US ˈha:rdli] adv 1.) almost not ▪ My parents divorced when I was six, and I hardly knew my father. ▪ The children were so excited they could hardly speak. ▪ I can hardly believe it. ▪ Hardly anyone (=almost no one) writes to … Dictionary of contemporary English
hard|ly — «HAHRD lee», adverb. 1. only just; barely: »We hardly had time to eat breakfast. 2. not quite: »His story is hardly true. He is hardly strong enough to lift that trunk. 3. probably not: »They will hardly come in all this rain. 4 … Useful english dictionary
hardly — hard|ly [ hardli ] adverb *** Hardly is a negative word and is often used with words like any and ever, but it should not be used with other negative words: We hardly ever do anything interesting. Hardly comes before the main verb of a sentence,… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
Hardly — Hard ly (h[aum]rd l[y^]), adv. [AS. heardlice. See {Hard}.] [1913 Webster] 1. In a hard or difficult manner; with difficulty. [1913 Webster] Recovering hardly what he lost before. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. Unwillingly; grudgingly. [1913 Webster]… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
hard vs hardly — Hard is an adjective. It can mean solid, industrious, or difficult. For example: Heating the clay makes it hard (solid) . She is a hard (industrious) worker. It was a hard (difficult) test. Hardly is an adverb and means only just or… … English dictionary of common mistakes and confusing words
hard vs hardly — Hard is an adjective. It can mean solid, industrious, or difficult. For example: Heating the clay makes it hard (solid) . She is a hard (industrious) worker. It was a hard (difficult) test. Hardly is an adverb and means only just or… … English dictionary of common mistakes and confusing words
hardly — hard•ly [[t]ˈhɑrd li[/t]] adv. 1) only just; almost not; barely: hardly any; hardly ever[/ex] 2) not at all; scarcely: That report is hardly surprising[/ex] 3) with little likelihood: He will hardly come now[/ex] 4) Brit. harshly or severely 5)… … From formal English to slang
hard — [adj1] rocklike adamantine, callous, compact, compacted, compressed, concentrated, consolidated, dense, firm, hardened, impenetrable, indurate, indurated, inflexible, iron*, packed, rigid, rocky, set, solid, stiff, stony, strong, thick, tough,… … New thesaurus

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hard - hardly

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hard - hardly

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