hardly a year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hardly a year" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a short amount of time has passed, often implying that something has occurred or changed in that brief period. Example: "It has hardly been a year since we last met, yet so much has changed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Since then, hardly a year has passed without the announcement of some new major discovery.

Encyclopedia Britannica

There is hardly a year when cholera does not appear among the pilgrims to Juggernaut, in consequence of the bad food they eat.

Cornell University

HARDLY a year goes by without another modern-day adaptation of Anton Chekhov's "Seagull," "The Three Sisters" or "Uncle Vanya".

The New York Times

Hardly a year goes by when something new isn't found," says Dr. Leslie Aiello, a paleoanthropologist at University College London.

The New York Times - Science

HARDLY a year goes by in Taiwan without elections portrayed as vital to the government's grip on power or relations with China.

The Economist

In hardly a year, Andante.com, its home page an understated study in black, rose, and beige, has become classical music's most prominent Web site.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

"It's hardly one a year," he said.

The New York Times - Style

But I was undaunted – quite the opposite: I've hardly missed a year since.

The Guardian

It hardly seems a year since his inaugural speech as party leader at the very same venue.

The Guardian

True, it was hardly a stellar year for either genre.

The New York Times

And 1938 was hardly a peak year during the golden era of the Hollywood studio system.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "hardly a year", ensure the context clearly establishes what event or situation is being described as infrequent. For example, "Hardly a year goes by without a new discovery in paleontology."

Common error

Avoid using "hardly a year" when you intend to convey something happens every year. The phrase indicates infrequency, not regularity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly a year" functions as an adverbial modifier of time, indicating how frequently something occurs within the span of a year. Ludwig AI examples illustrate its use in emphasizing the rarity or infrequency of events.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

12%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hardly a year" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression, as validated by Ludwig AI, meaning something occurs infrequently within a year. Predominantly found in news and media, and also present in academic writing, it serves to emphasize the rarity or infrequency of events. To ensure accuracy, remember that alternatives such as "barely a year" or "scarcely a year" can provide similar emphasis. Use it when you want to stress that an event is uncommon within the span of a year.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Barely a year

Emphasizes the brevity of the time period, similar to the original phrase.

Almost no year

Indicates that the event or situation occurs very rarely each year.

Scarcely a year

Highlights the infrequency of the event within a year's time.

Rarely a year

Similar to 'scarcely', emphasizing the unusual occurrence each year.

Infrequently a year

More formal alternative, stressing the lack of regular occurrence annually.

Not quite a year

Focuses on the time frame being less than a full year.

Just under a year

Specifies that the duration is slightly shorter than a complete year.

Nearly a year

Focuses on the duration almost reaches one year.

Close to a year

Indicates the time is approaching a year, but not quite there.

A short year

Highlights the brevity of a specific year, often in terms of experiences or events.

FAQs

How can I use "hardly a year" in a sentence?

Use "hardly a year" to indicate that something happens infrequently within a year's time. For example, "Hardly a year passes without a major technological innovation being announced."

What can I say instead of "hardly a year"?

You can use alternatives like "barely a year", "almost no year", or "scarcely a year" depending on the desired nuance.

Is it correct to say "hardly a year goes by that...?"

Yes, "hardly a year goes by that" is a grammatically correct and commonly used construction to emphasize the infrequency of something not happening. For example, "Hardly a year goes by that there isn't a new iPhone release."

What's the difference between "hardly a year" and "almost a year"?

"Hardly a year" implies infrequency or rarity, suggesting something happens less often than once a year. "Almost a year" focuses on the duration of time being close to a full year.