Hardly — synonyms, definition

1. hardly (o)

barely cruelly gradually harshly imperceptibly infrequently irregularly just little merely nearly occasionally perceptibly rarely rigourously roughly scarcely seldom severely sporadically • • •

2. hardly (a)

scantily scarcely

3. hardly (Adverb)

scarce

hardly (Adverb) — Only a very short time before. ex. "we hardly knew them"

hardly (Adverb) — Almost not. ex. "he hardly ever goes fishing" ex. "he was hardly more than sixteen years old"