adverb Hardly is an adverb that means barely or scarcely. It is used to indicate that something is done to a small degree or almost not at all.
Used in music theory to describe a very soft or quiet dynamic level, as in 'play this passage hardly audible'
Used in probability theory to indicate a very low chance of occurrence, as in 'the event is hardly likely'
Often used in descriptive writing to convey a sense of scarcity or difficulty, as in 'hardly a soul was in sight'
Used in the context of negation and minimal possibility, such as in the phrase 'hardly any'
Used to describe a situation where something is barely present or noticeable, as in 'hardly any progress has been made'
In academic writing, 'hardly' is used to indicate that something is barely or scarcely the case, such as 'The results of the study hardly support the hypothesis.'
Psychologists may use 'hardly' when discussing the limited or minimal impact of a certain intervention or treatment, for example 'The therapy sessions hardly made a difference in the patient's behavior.'
Lawyers may use 'hardly' in legal documents or arguments to emphasize that something is not likely or barely possible, as in 'The defendant's alibi hardly holds up under scrutiny.'
Engineers might use 'hardly' when discussing the minimal effect of a certain variable on a system or process, for instance 'The change in temperature hardly affected the performance of the machine.'
Accountants may use 'hardly' when referring to a small or insignificant amount, such as 'The error in the financial statement was hardly noticeable.'