hardly ever

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hardly ever

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

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

In one of the others, at Aston Villa, he had to go off at half-time, which was a shock in itself because Fernandes hardly ever misses a game.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026

I hardly ever find really good antiquing things there, because those are at antique stores and they’re usually pretty pricey.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026

I hardly ever read or even think about Poe anymore, but I suppose those stories first directed my mind’s eye toward infinity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

We hardly ever ate meat except for parties.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

Related Words

• a few times
• hardly
• occasionally
• rarely
• scarcely
• sometimes
• sporadically