hardly after

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hardly after" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is not commonly used and may confuse readers, as "hardly" typically implies a sense of difficulty or scarcity, which does not align well with "after." Example: "She hardly after the meeting felt ready to present her ideas."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The pulse-height resolution of the MPPC has deteriorated hardly after irradiation.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

De Palma suggests, by contrast, that some soldiers have become demoralized by the incoherent war policy and have fallen into criminal behavior — an unpleasant idea, but hardly, after Abu Ghraib and Haditha, a lie.

The New Yorker

NKG2D was strongly down-regulated on CD8+ T cells co-cultured with L-MICA-129Met but hardly after co-culture with L-MICA-129Val clones (Fig EV5).

EMBO Molecular Medicine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Marlowe quickly departs from the restrained Virgilian original, into horror-movie nastiness: "young infants swimming in their parents' blood" - hardly after-dinner conversation.

The Guardian

In LB-N medium with arbutin, an average of 15 very small CFU were hardly detected after 24 h of incubation, 146 small CFU after 48 h of incubation, and 207 medium CFU after 72 h of incubation.

BioMed Research International

The results indicate that recovered strength measured in the laboratory is hardly noticeable after a rest period of 3 days, but recovered strength is lost after a small shear displacement.

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

The franc hardly budged after the announcement.

The New York Times

Perhaps significantly, that figure hardly changed after Saturday's results.

The New Yorker

The fervor hardly subsided after McGwire admitted using androstenedione.

The New York Times - Sports

Edwards is hardly unique, after all – he just got caught.

The Guardian - Books

IT WAS hardly unexpected after weeks of leaks but it still hurt.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to convey that something occurred very soon after another event, consider rephrasing to emphasize the sequence more directly, such as "immediately following" or "directly after".

Common error

A frequent mistake is to assume "hardly" functions as a direct synonym for "soon" or "immediately". "Hardly" implies a minimal degree or amount, not necessarily a short time frame. Therefore, using "hardly after" can create ambiguity. For example, instead of "He was hardly there after the incident", write "He was rarely seen after the incident" or "He left shortly after the incident".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly after" functions as an adverbial phrase, attempting to modify the timing of an event in relation to another. However, as Ludwig AI points out, its usage is grammatically questionable and lacks clear meaning in standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "hardly after" appears in some contexts, it is not considered standard English. Ludwig AI highlights that this phrase is grammatically questionable, and its meaning can be ambiguous. As such, it is best to avoid using "hardly after" in formal writing. Instead, opt for clearer and more widely accepted alternatives such as "shortly after", "scarcely after", or "just after" to ensure your writing is easily understood and grammatically sound. These alternatives convey the intended meaning of temporal proximity more effectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scarcely after

Replaces "hardly" with "scarcely", offering a more grammatically sound alternative with a similar meaning of 'almost not' in relation to time.

barely after

Uses "barely" instead of "hardly", which also indicates a minimal amount of time passing, but is often clearer.

just after

Emphasizes the immediacy of the sequence, replacing "hardly" to highlight the proximity in time.

shortly after

Indicates that something happened soon after a previous event, replacing "hardly" to provide a more common and understandable phrase.

not long after

Emphasizes the brief duration between two events, offering a more descriptive and grammatically correct alternative.

soon after

Offers a straightforward and commonly used way to indicate that something occurred quickly following something else.

almost immediately after

Highlights the speed with which the second event followed the first, providing greater emphasis than "hardly after".

immediately following

Replaces both "hardly" and "after" to give a more formal and direct indication of temporal sequence.

directly after

Indicates a direct succession in time, changing the phrasing for increased clarity.

following closely after

Emphasizes that the second event occurred in close temporal proximity to the first.

FAQs

What does "hardly after" mean?

The phrase "hardly after" is not standard English and can be confusing. It's often used to mean 'very soon after' or 'almost immediately after', but it is not a grammatically correct or widely accepted way to express this idea. Using alternatives like "shortly after" or "scarcely after" is recommended.

What can I say instead of "hardly after"?

Consider alternatives such as "just after", "soon after", or "immediately following". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you want to convey.

Is "hardly after" grammatically correct?

No, "hardly after" does not conform to standard English grammar. While it might appear in some informal contexts, it's best to avoid it in formal writing. Opt for clearer and more accepted alternatives.

Which is correct, "hardly after" or "scarcely after"?

"Scarcely after" is a more grammatically sound option than "hardly after", although both are not as commonly used as "shortly after" or "just after". "Scarcely" implies a minimal amount, making it a slightly better fit in this context.