adv · intj · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈhɑːdli/
General-American:/ˈhɑɹdli/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:HH AA1 R D L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Barely, only just, almost not.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: degree
Examples
They hardly ever watch television.
It's hardly possible he could lose the election.
Hardly did I arrive when he left.
I could hardly have managed it in less time.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Certainly not; not at all.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I hardly think they'll come in this bad weather!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
With difficulty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adv
Meaning 4
Harshly, severely; in a hard manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Topics: manner
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adv
Meaning 5
Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Topics: manner
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
intj
Meaning 6
Not really.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I think the Beatles are a really overrated band. ― Hardly!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adverb
Meaning 7
only a very short time before- W.B.Yeats
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they could barely hear the speaker
we hardly knew them
just missed being hit
had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open
would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: barely, just, scarcely, scarce
Antonyms: none provided
8
adverb
Meaning 8
almost not
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he hardly ever goes fishing
he was hardly more than sixteen years old
they scarcely ever used the emergency generator
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scarcely
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard + -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich.
Across languages
Translations
105 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հազիվ
— barely, only just
Armenian:
դժվարությամբ
(džvarutʻyamb)
— barely, only just
Belarusian:
ледзь
(ljedzʹ)
— barely, only just
Bulgarian:
едва́м
(edvám)
— barely, only just
Catalan:
a penes
— barely, only just
Catalan:
gaire
— barely, only just
Chinese Mandarin:
幾乎不 /几乎不
(jīhū bù)
— barely, only just
Czech:
sotva
— barely, only just
Czech:
stěží
— barely, only just
Danish:
knap
— barely, only just
Dutch:
nauwelijks
— barely, only just
Esperanto:
apenaŭ
— barely, only just
Faroese:
neyvan
— barely, only just
Finnish:
tuskin
— barely, only just
Finnish:
töin tuskin
— barely, only just
Finnish:
hädin tuskin
— barely, only just
French:
guère
— barely, only just
French:
à peine
— barely, only just
Old French:
a paine
— barely, only just
German:
kaum
— barely, only just
Ancient Greek:
μόλις
(mólis)
— barely, only just
Hebrew:
בקושי
(bekóshi)
— barely, only just
Hindi:
थोड़े
(thoṛe)
— barely, only just
Hungarian:
alig
— barely, only just
Hungarian:
aligha
— barely, only just
Hungarian:
nemigen
— barely, only just
Hungarian:
bajosan
— barely, only just
Icelandic:
með naumindum
— barely, only just
Icelandic:
naumlega
— barely, only just
Icelandic:
ekki meira en svo
— barely, only just
Icelandic:
varla
— barely, only just
Icelandic:
tæplega
— barely, only just
Icelandic:
með erfiði
— barely, only just
Icelandic:
með fyrirhöfn
— barely, only just
Ido:
apene
— barely, only just
Irish:
ní móide
— barely, only just
Italian:
appena
— barely, only just
Khmer:
គើមៗ
(kəəm-kəəm)
— barely, only just
Khmer:
ស្ទើរតែ
(stǝǝ tae)
— barely, only just
Khmer:
តើកៗ
(taək-taək)
— barely, only just
Korean:
거의
(geoui)
— barely, only just
Central Kurdish:
ئاستەم
(astem)
— barely, only just
Central Kurdish:
جارجار
(carcar)
— barely, only just
Latin:
vix
— barely, only just
Latin:
haud
— barely, only just
Lithuanian:
vos
— barely, only just
Lithuanian:
vos vos
— barely, only just
Macedonian:
одвај
(odvaj)
— barely, only just
Macedonian:
едвај
(edvaj)
— barely, only just
Māori:
pitoiti
— barely, only just
Māori:
pitopitoiti
— barely, only just
Eastern Mari:
ала
(ala)
— barely, only just
Mongolian:
арай
(araj)
— barely, only just
Norwegian Bokmål:
knapt
— barely, only just
Norwegian Bokmål:
neppe
— barely, only just
Occitan:
gaire
— barely, only just
Ojibwe:
agaawaa
— barely, only just
Old English:
unēaþe
— barely, only just
Polish:
ledwo
— barely, only just
Portuguese:
quase não
— barely, only just
Portuguese:
mal
— barely, only just
Romanian:
abia
— barely, only just
Russian:
едва́
(jedvá)
— barely, only just
Russian:
е́ле
(jéle)
— barely, only just
Campidanese Sardinian:
appenas
— barely, only just
