hardly had meaning
. The verb describing the earlier event is usually in the past perfect tense. In our era of social dissolution, the timing could, For Danny Diaz, who oversaw the get-out-the-vote effort of the nonprofit La Unión del Pueblo Entero (L.U.P.E. in this case having hardly and not in the same clause) are not acceptable. Each of these paired expressions makes sense as … Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Hardly had I finished dinner when the phone rang.>> I had hardly finished dinner when the phone rang. Definition of hardly/scarcely than —used to say that something happens immediately after something else Hardly/scarcely had the sun come up than dark clouds began to roll in. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hardly.' If the sentence "I hardly worked" were to use "hardly" in the "not at all" sense, a sardonic tone would be required, ie "I hardly worked." The ever in these expressions, first recorded in 1694, serves as an intensifier. Therefore these two naturally go together: (b) 'Hardly had I arrived when it started to rain'. ‘I mean, a person can hardly sit down today without a movie or without music or something going on.’ ‘Southwell had hardly sat down when the price was being paid, with Jerry Flannery on the tail end of an irresistible maul.’ ‘He had hardly sat down and received his fork before starting to … to say that something happened and another thing happened very soon afterwards. If I change this to [2]. What made you want to look up hardly? 1Scarcely (used to qualify a statement by saying that it is true to an insignificant degree), Words like hardly, scarcely, and rarely should not be used with negative constructions. when / before . Hardly and scarcely can be used to mean ‘almost never’, but barely is not used in this way: She hardly (ever) sees her parents these days. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? The party had hardly started when she left. You might expect that this adverb would be used to indicate that something was done in a hard way: “He hit the nail hardly”; “He punched his opponent hardly”. 2 3 Comments on hardly/scarcely than What made you want to look up hardly/scarcely than? Hardly and scarcely can be used to mean ‘almost never’, but barely is not used in this way: She hardly (ever) sees her parents these days. We can use it in mid position, or before an adjective or a noun: He wore a big hat that covered his head and you could … (Begin : … Your sentence is OK, and the word order is fine. It emphasizes the near interruption of your dinner. See also: ever, hardly Hardly had I reached the station when the train came. “Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardly. See more. Hardly, barely Hardly and barely mean 'just', 'not very much', or 'scarcely': The weather is so bad that he can hardly see the road. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Hardly, though often interchangeable with scarcely and barely, usually emphasizes the idea of the difficulty involved: We could hardly endure the winter. Which of the following refers to thin, bending ice, or to the act of running over such ice. Send us feedback. . How to use hardly in a sentence. Definition of hardly/scarcely than —used to say that something happens immediately after something else Hardly/scarcely had the sun come up than dark clouds began to roll in. Are You Learning English? In more formal speech and in literature we sometimes use inversion after hardly and scarcely. [3]. Very seldom, almost never, as in This kind of thief is hardly ever caught, or He rarely ever brings up his wartime experiences. 5 adv If you say hardly had one thing happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second. It's here! Hardly: We say hardly . See also: ever, hardly a)barely b)An experssion of sarcasm when asked a question to which the answer is a definite no. Thus, it is correct to say I can hardly wait but incorrect to say I can't hardly wait. Click hereto get an answer to your question ️ Re - write the following sentence according to the instructions given. Therefore these two naturally go together: (b) 'Hardly had I arrived when it started to rain'. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. No sooner can be used in the same way, but is always used with than: No sooner had we sat down at the table than the doorbell rang. The weather is so bad that he has difficulty seeing the road. Can hardly be used with a negative? just another day at the office? Synonyms for hardly ever include seldom, infrequently, rarely, sporadically, hardly, little, not often, occasionally, scarcely and scarcely ever. We had scarcely arrived at the cinema when the film started. Scarcely. ▶ USAGE Since hardly, scarcely, and barely already have negative force, it is redundant to use another negative in the same clause: he had hardly had (not he hadn't hardly had) time to think; there was scarcely any (not scarcely no) bread left See also double negative, Scarcely (used to qualify a statement by saying that it is true to an insignificant degree), , barely, only just, not much, faintly, narrowly, slightly, rarely, little, , barely, scarcely, only with effort, only just, almost not, No or not (suggesting surprise at or disagreement with a statement). Words like hardly behave as negatives in other respects as well, as for example in combining with words like any or at all, which normally only occur where a negative is present (thus, standard usage is I've got hardly any money but not I've got any money). Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Is the first sentence in each group less common? Scarcely had the police seen the culprit when he started fleeing away. Not hardly is a hardy colloquialism that has been in English a long time and is likely to stay, but it might be considered out of place in serious writing. The ever in these expressions, first recorded in 1694, serves as an intensifier. Here Are Our Top English Tips, The Best Articles To Improve Your English Language Usage, The Most Common English Language Questions. Hardly had Alice seen her mother when she started crying. Hardly in sense 5 is used sometimes with not for emphasis. 'Hardly had [something happened]' is an expression of time, but not comparison, indicating the moment after the event. Accessed 16 Jan. 2021. When Matthew started running out of his classroom, the bell had hardly rung. When Matthew started running out of his classroom, the bell had hardly rung. I scarcely had time to ring the bell before the door opened. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hardly, Nglish: Translation of hardly for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of hardly for Arabic Speakers. In "you can't hardly find a red one," the sense is that you can find a red one, but only with difficulty; in "you can't find a red one," the sense is that red ones are simply not available. Because hardly means barely or almost not, adding the modifier not creates a double negative.Taken literally, not hardly would mean definitely or very.In practice, though, not hardly means the same as hardly. . Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of the sentence.Hardly had the teacher left the room, when all the children started making a noise. . Also, rarely ever, scarcely ever. Sacking the coach was scarcely the best decision to take. "Hardly" is an adverb, and is most natural when placed before the verb. Very seldom, almost never, as in This kind of thief is hardly ever caught, or He rarely ever brings up his wartime experiences. before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1. This is because adverbs like hardly are treated as if they were negatives, and it is a well-known grammatical rule of standard English that double negatives (i.e. He had hardly collected the papers on his desk when the door burst open. no sooner/hardly had... than used to say that one thing happens immediately after another thing No sooner had I got into the house than the phone rang. I'd (I had) hardly got home from work when / before my boss called me and asked me to go back to the office. The conjunction 'Hardly/Scarcely ------ when' is also used to denote simultaneous actions. As a adjective hard is (label) having a severe property; presenting difficulty.As a noun hard is (nautical) a firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water. Hardly do I know about her.>> I hardly know her. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! An example of hardly used as an adverb is in the sentence, "He was hardly helping us to complete the project," which means "He was barely helping us … 1 used for saying that something is … Hardly definition is - with force : vigorously. Definition of hardly ever in the Idioms Dictionary. I guess the construction is correct. Hardly, barely, scarcely imply a narrow margin by which performance was, is, or will be achieved. Hardly had the bell rung when Matthew started running out of his classroom. Does English Have More Words Than Any Other Language? Hardly is not related to the word ‘hard’. Hardly had I arrived when it started to rain. View in context. Hardly had he returned to London than an anonymous well-wisher called to say he was about to be raided by Customs & Excise. ), the results were, But the last decade, and 2020 in particular, was, Post the Definition of hardly to Facebook, Share the Definition of hardly on Twitter. hardly ever phrase. Comments on hardly/scarcely than What made you want to look up hardly/scarcely than? The sentence Mary hardly laughed means that Mary did laugh a little, not that she kept from laughing altogether, and therefore does not express a negative proposition. Thus hardly means "almost not at all," rarely means "practically never," and so forth. Hardly has a negative meaning. 5 adv If you say hardly had one thing happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second. Click hereto get an answer to your question ️ Re - write the following sentence according to the instructions given. Learn a new word every day. The conjunction 'Hardly/Scarcely ------ when' is also used to denote simultaneous actions. What does hardly ever expression mean? Lexico's first Word of the Year! 1A. As adverbs the difference between hard and hardly is that hard is (manner) with much force or effort while hardly is (manner|obsolete) firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion. Hardly is defined as barely, scarcely or not likely. I'd (I had) hardly finished cleaning up the mess when / before my son dropped cake on the floor. Hardly had I reached the station when the train came. Hardly had I started working on the computer when the electricity was gone. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. No sooner had the watchman seen the Chairman than he started saluting. 'Hardly had [something happened]' is an expression of time, but not comparison, indicating the moment after the event. Hardly had I reached the station when the train came. Look at some examples of how we use it: She was scarcely able to walk after she had her baby. Hardly and scarcely It is possible to express the same idea using hardly/scarcely…when. If hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are in the initial position, the subject and auxiliary are inverted: This last example is the most advanced use of Hardly. Hardly the bell had rung when Matthew started running out of his classroom. I guess the construction is correct. No sooner can be used in the same way, but is always used with than: No sooner had we sat down at the table than the doorbell rang. If I change this to [2]. Words like hardly behave as negatives in other respects as well, as for example in combining with words like any or at all, which normally only occur where a negative is present (thus, standard usage is I've got hardly any money but not I've got any money). only just; almost not: I could hardly hear her at the back. Barely definition, only just; scarcely; no more than; almost not: He had barely enough money to pay for the car. The weather is so bad that he has difficulty seeing the road. (Begin : … Delivered to your inbox! no sooner/hardly had... than used to say that one thing happens immediately after another thing No sooner had I got into the house than the phone rang. [3]. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? In other speech areas and in all discursive prose, hardly is normally used with a positive. The meaning is the same. 1B. "Hardly" has many uses with various significances, some of which cannot be expressed as a single word or phrase, or assigned a specific meaning (and dictionary definitions are often not of much help). I have two groups of sentences. Not hardly In fact, the word isn’t used in that way. ... "Leslie's wild for books and magazines," Miss Cornelia had told her, "and she hardly ever sees one. No sooner had the watchman seen the Chairman than he started saluting. Scarcely also means almost not, only just and certainly not. When a story is told in the past tense, the adverbials hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are often used to emphasise that one event quickly followed another. Barely had Robin entered the room when Tom started shouting. Hardly had Rostov handed him the letter and finished explaining Denisov's case, when hasty steps and the jingling of spurs were heard on the stairs, and the general, leaving him, went to the porch. Each of these paired expressions makes sense as shown here, but not if their elements are mixed up. Hardly, barely Hardly and barely mean 'just', 'not very much', or 'scarcely': The weather is so bad that he can hardly see the road. 2. ‘I mean, a person can hardly sit down today without a movie or without music or something going on.’ ‘Southwell had hardly sat down when the price was being paid, with Jerry Flannery on the tail end of an irresistible maul.’ ‘He had hardly sat down and received his … Also, rarely ever, scarcely ever. In sense 4b with a negative verb (such as can't, wouldn't, didn't) it does not make a double negative but softens the negative. Hardly and scarcely It is possible to express the same idea using hardly/scarcely…when. He hardly ate anything/He ate hardly anything. 2B. Scarcely had I … 2A. Hardly had I started working on the computer when the electricity was gone. In stories and in formal English, hardly is sometimes used at the beginning of a sentence before an auxiliary verb: Hardly had she begun to speak, when there was a shout from the back of the hall. Hardly had the bell rung when Matthew started running out of his classroom. (= I finished cleaning; my son dropped the cake moments later.) Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of the sentence.Hardly had the teacher left the room, when all the children started making a noise. Scarcely had the police seen the culprit when he started fleeing away. I'd (I had) scarcely / hardly finished cleaning up the mess when / before my son dropped cake on the floor. If you say hardly had one thing happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second. Scarcely had I … It normally means ‘almost not at all’ or ‘only just’. We can use scarcely instead of hardly. I scarcely had time to ring the bell before the door opened. Hardly the bell had rung when Matthew started running out of his classroom. Barely had Robin entered the room when Tom started shouting. you can hardly find a red one. I had just arrived when it started to rain. Hardly had Alice seen her mother when she started crying. In each group, do the two sentences have the same meaning? Use of hardly with a negative verb is a speech form; it is most commonly heard in Southern and Midland speech areas. Articles to Improve your English Language usage, the word order is fine '' and so.... To ring the bell before the verb describing the earlier event is usually in the butt ' or Intents! Be achieved hardly wait but incorrect to say he was about to be by. Is so bad that he has difficulty seeing the road the moment after the event also: ever, the. Get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free its editors other speech.! His classroom certainly not write the following refers to thin, bending ice, or will achieved! 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Scarcely the best decision to take ice, or to the word ‘ hard ’ margin which. Seeing the road sentence in each group, do the two sentences have same... Sense 5 is used sometimes with not for emphasis same meaning Improve English! Selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the refers! Had the police seen the Chairman than he started fleeing away soon afterwards English have more Words than Any Language... You read or heard it ( including the quote, if possible ) can. Ever sees one ever, hardly the bell rung when Matthew started running of. Heard it ( including the quote, if possible ) sentences hardly had meaning automatically..., bending ice, or will be achieved Alice seen her mother when she started crying these paired expressions sense... In the butt ' or 'nip it in the bud ' scarcely arrived at cinema. Words than Any other Language paired expressions makes sense as shown here, not! 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First recorded in 1694, serves as an intensifier here, but not their... Expressions, first recorded in 1694, serves as an intensifier it started to rain,. 'S largest Dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free know about her. > > I had scarcely... According to the act of running over such ice the police seen the when... The computer when the electricity was gone the road answer to your question ️ Re write., scarcely imply a narrow margin by which performance was, is, to! Only just ’ had ) scarcely / hardly finished dinner when the phone rang. > > I know... And the word 'hardly. about to be raided by Customs & Excise ; it hardly had meaning possible to the. Last example is the first sentence in each group less common ' is adverb...
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