Added 9 October 2026
hardly
/ˈhɑːdli/ adverb
In Latin: vix, haud Wiktionary
adverb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hardly at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Barely, only just, almost not.
They hardly ever watch television.
-
Certainly not; not at all.
I hardly think they'll come in this bad weather!
- With difficulty.
interjection
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)