hardly ever

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.

Example Sentences

The close finish added scrutiny to an arcane rule that hardly ever comes into play.

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“I didn’t want to play at the university level because first-year goalkeepers hardly ever play,” he said.

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“I take the Metro bus everywhere and hardly ever drive,” she said.

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He is at least as much loathed as loved by the Israeli public, and in recent years has hardly ever commanded majority support.

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"But the good thing for us is this hardly ever happens and, if it happens, you can be sure that he will score in the third game of the fourth game."

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Related Words

• a few times www.thesaurus.com
• hardly 
• occasionally 
• rarely 
• scarcely 
• sometimes 
• sporadically