hardly — scarcely; barely; almost not
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: scarcely; barely; almost not
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈhɑrdli/
Example Sentences
- I hardly slept last night because my neighbor was practicing drums.
- She can hardly contain her excitement about the K-pop concert.
- I had hardly finished my homework when my dog ate it.
hardly
ADVERB[/ˈhɑrdli/]
scarcely; barely; almost not
She hardly slept — and the whole day shows it.
He worked so HARD he could hardly LIE down — too exhausted to sleep. (HARD + LY(lie) → Worked so HARD he could hardly LIE down)
She hardly eats, barely sleeps — and rarely admits anything is wrong.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old English 'heardlice', a combination of 'heard' (meaning hard, difficult, or severe) and the adverbial suffix '-ly'. The word evolved to express the sense of 'with difficulty' or 'scarcely'.
Breakdown
heard (hard, difficult) + -ly (adverbial suffix forming adverbs from adjectives). The '-ly' suffix transforms the adjective into an adverb indicating manner or degree.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I hardly slept last night because my neighbor was practicing drums.”
“She can hardly contain her excitement about the K-pop concert.”
“I had hardly finished my homework when my dog ate it.”
“There's hardly any coffee left in the pot.”
“He hardly ever goes to bed before midnight, which explains his zombie-like appearance.”
📚Related Words
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