hardly
Translation
scarcely, almost not
Examples
I can hardly hear you.
I can almost not hear you.
She hardly ever calls me.
She very rarely calls me.
Grammar Patterns
hardly ((verb)) almost not ((do sth.)) I hardly know him.
hardly ever almost never We hardly ever go out.
Similar Words
Synonyms: barely, scarcely, almost not; Antonyms: easily, often
Etymology
From 'hard' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. The meaning shifted from 'severely' to 'scarcely'.
Memory Tips
Be careful! 'Hardly' does not mean 'in a hard way'. That is just 'hard' (e.g., He works hard). 'Hardly' means almost zero.