hardly ever any

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hardly ever any" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to indicate that something occurs very rarely or almost never. Example: "They hardly ever have any free time." Alternative expressions include "rarely any" and "seldom any."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

"When Iceland is playing everybody goes behind the team, and there is hardly ever any schadenfreude.

The Guardian

The slogan is "Make America Great Again," but there is hardly ever any talk of the past.

The New Yorker

But the oily water has its chalky green look all year round, and there are hardly ever any boats.

The New York Times

The April 2012 World Economic Outlook from the International Monetary Fund endorsed balanced-budget stimulus, but, beyond this, there is hardly ever any mention of it these days.

The New York Times

HAVE you ever stopped at a red light at an intersection where there is hardly ever any traffic and wondered why on earth there is a signal there at all?

The New York Times

Where once there were hardly ever any bicycles, now there are more than 1,000 a day, cutting through the congestion in a morning ritual that immigration officials have dubbed the "Tour de France".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

We hardly ever use any advertising still".

The Guardian

We hardly ever spend any time in the living room.

The New York Times

Although homes are supposed to lay on activities every day, I hardly ever saw any happening.

Independent

"We hardly ever see any low-risk patients," Dr. Matshe said.

The New York Times

"When booking online, we hardly ever have any problems and if we do, they're minor".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

The phrase works effectively with both uncountable nouns like "traffic" and plural countable nouns like "problems".

Common error

Avoid using "hardly ever any" with another negative word like "not" or "never" (e.g., "There isn't hardly ever any"). Since "hardly" already carries a negative meaning, adding another negative creates a double negative, which is considered incorrect in standard English.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly ever any" functions as a complex negative adverbial quantifier. It combines the degree adverb "hardly", the frequency adverb "ever", and the determiner/quantifier "any". According to Ludwig AI and the associated examples, it typically modifies the presence or existence of a noun within a clause, often following "there is" or "there are" constructions.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Social Media

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hardly ever any" is a versatile and highly effective way to communicate that something is exceptionally rare. Based on data from Ludwig, it is a robust part of the English lexicon, appearing frequently in high-authority media and scientific literature. It serves a dual purpose: it qualifies both how often something happens and how much of it exists. Writers should be careful to avoid double negatives when using it. Alternatives like "rarely any" or "scarcely any" can be used depending on the desired level of formality or emphasis. Overall, it is a sophisticated tool for adding nuance to descriptions of scarcity and infrequent occurrences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rarely any

More concise and commonly used in both speech and writing

scarcely any

Slightly more formal and literary in tone

almost never any

Provides a more literal breakdown of the frequency and quantity

seldom any

Uses a more formal adverb of frequency

practically no

Focuses more on the resultant absence than the frequency of occurrence

virtually no

Stronger emphasis on the near-total lack of something

next to no

An idiomatic way to express extreme scarcity

hardly any

Omits the frequency aspect, focusing only on the quantity

barely any

Suggests a minimal presence that only just exists

very few

Used specifically for countable nouns to indicate small numbers

FAQs

How do I use "hardly ever any" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe something that almost never exists or occurs, such as: "In this desert, there is "hardly ever any" rainfall".

What is the difference between "hardly any" and "hardly ever any"?

While "hardly any" focuses solely on the small amount, "hardly ever any" emphasizes that the scarcity is a persistent state over time.

Is "hardly ever any" grammatically correct?

Yes, it is a standard English phrase that combines the adverb "hardly" (scarcely) with the frequency marker "ever" and the quantifier "any" to denote extreme rarity.

What can I use instead of "hardly ever any" for a more formal tone?

For a more formal or literary tone, you might consider using "scarcely any" or "seldom any".