hardly ever

Idioms

Also, rarely ever, scarcely ever. Very seldom, almost never, as in This kind of thief is hardly ever caught, or He rarely ever brings up his wartime experiences. The ever in these expressions, first recorded in 1694, serves as an intensifier.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Capybaras could attack if threatened, though they hardly ever do.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Official documentation hardly ever matches the reality of how work is actually done.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Pfeiffer: But we hardly ever see the baby.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

"But mainly, nobody cared," she said, adding: "I never get recognised in Ponty hardly ever."

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

I knew from the potatoes and peas, that Kazi was going to make samosas, which he hardly ever does.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023