rhizoverbBeta
Dictionaryhardly
adverb

hardly

Almost not at all.

I can hardly hear you over the noise outside.

Etymology
hardEnglishdifficult
+lyEnglishin a specified manner

Hardly first expressed doing something with difficulty. What is barely possible becomes scarcely present, producing the modern sense of almost not at all.

More examples

  • She hardly knows anyone at her new school.
  • We hardly ever eat out during the week.
  • The stain is hardly noticeable now.

Similar words

barely
Emphasizes reaching only the minimum needed for something.
scarcely
Similarly means almost not, but sounds slightly more formal.