# hardly

Pronunciation: US say "HARD-lee" /ˈhɑɹdli/; UK say "HAHD-lee" /ˈhɑːdli/

## Adverb

1. To a very small degree; almost not, or only just.
   - Simple: Almost not, or only just.
   - _By the end of the hike, she could hardly lift her feet._
   - _The fine print was hardly legible without a magnifying glass._
2. Certainly not; by no means.
   - Simple: Not at all, definitely not.
   - _A two-minute delay is hardly the disaster he made it out to be._
   - _One good review hardly proves the restaurant is the best in town._

## Interjection

3. Used on its own to mean 'not really' or to firmly disagree.
   - Simple: A short way to say 'no' or 'not really.'
   - _"Were you nervous before the speech?" "Hardly. I've done this a hundred times."_
   - _"Surely that scared you?" "Hardly. I've seen far worse on the job."_

## Adverb

4. With difficulty; in a way that does not come easily. *(rare)*
   - Simple: In a way that is hard to do and does not come easily.
5. With harshness or severity, as when treating someone roughly. *(dated)*
   - Simple: In a harsh or severe way.
6. In a firm and vigorous way, with strength or exertion. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: With strength and force, in a firm way.

## Origin

Old English heardlīċe ("boldly, hardily; with difficulty; painfully; not easily; only by degrees") became Middle English hardely, hardliche, and the word amounts to hard + -ly. Dutch hardelijk and German härtlich are comparable.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hardly (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).