Phrase guide

I hardly know her

phrase · 1 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.

  • US: /aɪ ˈhɑɹd.li noʊ‿əɹ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

phrase

Meaning 1

A joking retort that draws attention to the possibility of sexual innuendo when a word ends with a schwar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, humorous, idiomatic

Examples

  • Person 1: My face is breaking out again, I gotta go buy new cleanser. Person 2: Cleanser? I hardly know her!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the fact that a word ending in /əɹ/ (usually ⟨-er⟩ or ⟨-or⟩) sounds like a verb followed by “her” as the direct object.