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

I used to go out a lot but now I hardly ever go out because I'm scared what man is going to approach me next.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Sentiment drops as big as these hardly ever happen: Since 2000, which is how far back the data extends, these drops are at the 1.5th and 0.9th percentiles, respectively.

From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026

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

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

Pfeiffer: But we hardly ever see the baby.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

But she hardly ever talked to anyone at camp, and she spent most breaks alone in her room.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

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