Main Entry: hard·ly

Pronunciation: \ˈhärd-lē\

Function: adverb

Date: before 12th century

1 : with force : vigorously
2 : in a severe manner : harshly
3 : with difficulty : painfully
4 a —used to emphasize a minimal amount <I hardly knew her> <almost new — hardly a scratch on it> b —used to soften a negative <you can't hardly tell who anyone is — G. B. Shaw>
5 : certainly not <that news is hardly surprising>

usage Hardly in sense 5 is used sometimes with not for emphasis <just another day at the office? Not hardly>. In sense 4b with a negative verb (as can't, wouldn't, didn't) it does not make a double negative but softens the negative. In “you can't hardly find a red one,” the sense is that you can find a red one, but only with difficulty; in “you can't find a red one,” the sense is that red ones are simply not available. Use of hardly with a negative verb is a speech form; it is most commonly heard in Southern and Midland speech areas. In other speech areas and in all discursive prose, hardly is normally used with a positive <you can hardly find a red one>.