hardly

Meaning

Adv

1. Barely, only just, almost not.
2. Certainly not; not at all.
3. With difficulty.
4. Harshly, severely; in a hard manner.
5. (obsolete) Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion.

Intj

Not really.

Synonyms

barely

scarcely

with difficulty

only just

just

slightly

a little

rarely

not easily

hard

seldom

scarce

doubtful

almost

doubtfully

gradually

little

nearly

painfully

sharply

weakly

who knows

just barely

like gangbusters

merely

not often

never

finally

only

fiercely

-ish

quasi

faintly

edgewise

dimly

scarcely ever

difficultly

not likely

but

slowly

somewhat

sorely

step by step

tenuously

uneasily

unlikely

smartish

with hardship

as soon as

with effort

I doubt it

forcefully

harshly

improbably

inadequately

infrequent

for all one is worth

just a little

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɑːdli/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: hardely

Inherited from Old English: heardlīċe

Cognate with Dutch: hardelijk

Cognate with German: härtlich

In summary

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.