HARDLY EVER Meaning and
Definition
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Hardly ever is a phrase that is used to indicate an extremely low or infrequent occurrence of an action or event. It implies that something happens so rarely that it can almost be considered as never happening. The phrase is commonly used to emphasize the rarity or scarcity of a particular situation, outcome, or behavior.
When something is described as "hardly ever," it means that it occurs with such limited frequency or regularity that it is almost non-existent. For example, if someone says, "I hardly ever eat fast food," it suggests that they rarely consume fast food, emphasizing the fact that it is an exceptional occurrence for them.
The phrase is often used as a synonym for "rarely" or "seldom," but it signifies an even more limited occurrence than those terms. It conveys a sense of almost never happening or a near absence of the action or event being discussed.
Overall, "hardly ever" is a phrase that emphasizes the infrequency or rarity of something occurring, emphasizing that it is an exceptional or uncommon happening. It is a term that highlights the scarcity or near absence of an action, behavior, or situation, underscoring the notion that it is almost never experienced or observed.
Common Misspellings for HARDLY EVER
- gardly ever
- bardly ever
- nardly ever
- jardly ever
- uardly ever
- yardly ever
- hzrdly ever
- hsrdly ever
- hwrdly ever
- hqrdly ever
- haedly ever
- haddly ever
- hafdly ever
- hatdly ever
- ha5dly ever
- ha4dly ever
- harsly ever
- harxly ever
- harcly ever
- harfly ever
Etymology of HARDLY EVER
The etymology of the phrase hardly ever can be traced back to Old English.
The word hardly originated from the Old English word heardlice, which was a combination of heard meaning difficult or stern and -lice meaning manner or way. It was used to convey the sense of something being done with great difficulty or rarely.
The word ever comes from the Old English word æfre, meaning at any time. It was commonly used in negative sentences to indicate the absence or nonexistence of something.
Over time, these two words heardlice and æfre were combined to form hardly ever, which has evolved into its modern usage to mean almost never or very rarely.
Idioms with the word HARDLY EVER
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hardly ever
Hardly ever is an expression used to indicate that something occurs very rarely, almost never, or only on extremely rare occasions.
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