Hardly (Adverb)

Meaning ¹

Slowly and with difficulty; "prejudices die hard"; "he was so dizzy he could hardly stand up straight".

Synonyms

• Hard

Meaning ²

Only a very short time before; "we hardly knew them"; "had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"; "would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats.

Synonyms

• Just
• Barely
• Scarce
• Scarcely

Meaning ³

Almost not; "he hardly ever goes fishing"; "he was scarce sixteen years old"; "they scarcely ever used the emergency generator"; "I can hardly hear what she is saying"; "she barely seemed to notice him"; "we were so far back in the theater, we could barely read the subtitles".

Synonyms

• Barely
• Scarce
• Scarcely