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

Pfeiffer: But we hardly ever see the baby.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 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 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

I had hardly ever seen a handsome youth; never in my life spoken to one.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

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