# hardly ever

**Pronunciation:** /ˌhɑːrdli ˈevər/ · HARD-lee EH-ver

**CEFR level:** B1

**Part of speech:** adverbial phrase

## Meaning

Almost never; very rarely.

## Examples

- She hardly ever eats fast food.
- He hardly ever goes out on weekdays.
- I hardly ever see my old friends anymore.

## Synonyms

- rarely — Implies something happens only occasionally.
- seldom — A more formal or literary way to say 'rarely'.
- infrequently — Emphasizes the lack of frequency, often in a more formal context.
- scarcely — Very similar to 'hardly', often implying just before something else happens.

## Antonyms

- very often — Happening many times.
- frequently — Happening often or many times.
- always — At all times; on all occasions.

## Common patterns

- hardly ever — Almost never; very rarely. — He hardly ever complains about his workload.

## Collocations

- hardly ever happens — A situation like this hardly ever happens.
- hardly ever see — I hardly ever see him these days.
- hardly ever eat — They hardly ever eat meat.

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