c. 1200, "in a hard manner, with great exertion or effort," from Old English heardlice "sternly, severely, harshly; bravely; excessively" (see hard (adj.) + -ly (2)). Hence "assuredly, certainly" (early 14c.). Main modern sense of "barely, just" (1540s) reverses this, via the intermediate meaning "not easily, with trouble" (early 15c.). Formerly with superficial negative (not hardly). Similar formation in Old Saxon hardliko, German h?rtlich, Old Danish haardelig.
雙語(yǔ)例句
1. The ward was busy and Amy hardly had time to talk.
病房里非常忙碌，埃米幾乎沒(méi)有時(shí)間說(shuō)話。
來(lái)自柯林斯例句
2. My eyes were so swollen I could hardly see.
我的眼睛腫得很厲害，幾乎看不到東西。
來(lái)自柯林斯例句
3. Their two faces were hardly more than eighteen inches apart.
他倆的臉相隔還不到18英寸。
來(lái)自柯林斯例句
4. Half-ruined, hardly a building untouched, it's a desolate place.
這里大半遭毀，幾乎沒(méi)有一棟建筑完好無(wú)損，變成了一塊荒廢之地。
來(lái)自柯林斯例句
5. He appeared hardly capable of conducting a coherent conversation.