Basic Details
Word: Hardly
Part of Speech: Adverb
Meaning: Almost not; only just. 'I could hardly hear him' means I could barely hear him at all.
Synonyms: barely, scarcely, only just
Antonyms: easily, fully
How to Spell Hardly
Syllables: hard - ly
Tricky part: The ending is plain ly, not ley. The meaning also trips students: hardly does not mean 'in a hard way'.
Watch out for: hardley, hardlly, hardely
Memory tip: Take hard and add the two-letter ending ly with nothing in between, the same as in softly. Then remember the meaning flips: hardly ever means almost never.
Usage Examples
Example 1: I had hardly reached the bus stop when the bus pulled away.
Example 2: There is hardly any milk left, so we will buy some on the way home.
Example 3: My little brother can hardly sit still during long movies.
Fun Fact
Hardly sits in a small group of 'almost not' words, with scarcely and barely, so 'I can't hardly see' is a double negative in standard English.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word hardly as used in the sentence:
We could hardly hear the announcement over the roar of the trains at Howrah station.
a) barely
b) firmly
c) easily
d) loudly
Show answer
a) barely. Hardly means only just, and barely carries that same meaning; easily is its opposite.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. separate 2. ancient 3. mischief 4. hardley
a) to divide or keep apart
b) almost not; only just
c) very old; from long ago
d) playful bad behaviour that causes small trouble
Show answer
b) almost not; only just. Hardley has an extra e; the word is hard with ly added.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The tired runner could ylhdra lift his feet over the last hurdle.
a) hourly
b) hardly
c) hardy
d) harshly
Show answer
b) hardly. Hardy is one letter short and harshly needs an s; hardly uses all six letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Someone who hardly ever eats sweets ____.
a) eats them with great effort
b) eats them every day
c) almost never eats them
d) eats only hard sweets
Show answer
c) almost never eats them
2. Which sentence is correct in standard English?
a) I can hardly wait for the holidays.
b) I can hardly not wait for the holidays.
c) I can't hardly wait for the holidays.
d) I hardly can't wait for the holidays.
Show answer
a) I can hardly wait for the holidays.
