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

There are more than a few Amazon users who hardly ever set foot in a physical store.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 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

Now Australia go to the second Test in Brisbane, played in a day-night format they hardly ever lose.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

She remembered that Emily Dickinson’s poems hardly ever rhymed.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

Related Words

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