hardly ever
/ˈhɑːdli ˈɛvər/adverbial phrase★Intermediate
informal
Almost never; very rarely
She hardly ever eats junk food.
He hardly ever goes to the gym.
💡
Used to emphasize that something occurs infrequently or almost never.
Collocations
hardly ever doUsed to emphasize that something rarely happens
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
barely everphrase
Almost never
💡Pro Tip
Usage Tip
Use 'hardly ever' to emphasize that something happens very infrequently, often in negative sentences.
⚡Gold Rule
Grammar Rule
'Hardly ever' is an adverbial phrase and is typically used before the main verb or after the auxiliary verb.
📖Word Origin
Derived from the adverbs 'hardly' (barely) and 'ever' (at any time), combining to mean 'almost never'.
📝Usage Notes
Often used in negative sentences to emphasize the rarity of an action or event.
Word Breakdown
hardly
barely, scarcely
adverbever
at any time
adverbEnglish Dictionary