hardly manage

USAGE SUMMARY

"hardly manage" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to express that someone is struggling to accomplish something or is barely able to do it. Example: "She could hardly manage to finish the project on time." Alternative expressions include "barely cope" and "struggle to handle."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

He said, "You don't need a dog, you can hardly manage the kids".

The Guardian - Books

To fully control malaria we need about $5.1bn, yet today we hardly manage to secure half of this.

The Guardian

Americans "can hardly manage a presidential election," he continued, adding, "If we had a Eurovision election, there would be chads in the ballots".

The New York Times - Arts

I love to cook but I hardly manage to now - there's barely time to blow my nose, let alone cook properly.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The silting of the river has increased so much since the mid-20th century that, whereas ships of 1,000 tons could easily sail upstream to the port of Sinŭiju, N.Kor., in 1910, 500-ton ships can hardly manage to do so now.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Rich farmers have as well more land as well as financial resources and can hardly manage the weeding without herbicides.

Agricultural and Food Economics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Since then, the company seemed to have hardly managed a successful move.

The New York Times

But municipal affairs were hardly managed normally or restructured by the mayor.

The New York Times

Between constant phone calls, texts and emails, the senior student hardly manages to catch a breath.

The Guardian

"This year I've hardly managed to break into the team; it's such a good team and there's some great players above me.

The Guardian - Sport

Ahmed Shehzad hardly managed much better, shuffling across his stumps to Peter Siddle only to be bowled round his legs for three, leaving the nominal hosts seven for two.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "hardly manage", ensure the context clearly indicates the struggle or difficulty involved in accomplishing the task. For example, "I could hardly manage to stay awake during the long lecture".

Common error

Avoid overusing "hardly manage" when the task is simply inconvenient, not genuinely challenging. For instance, saying "I could hardly manage to choose from the extensive menu" is an exaggeration; a better choice would be "I found it difficult to choose from the extensive menu".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly manage" functions as a verb phrase indicating a significant degree of difficulty or near impossibility in performing an action or achieving a result. Ludwig confirms that it's grammatically correct and appropriate for expressing such challenges.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

6%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hardly manage" is a grammatically sound phrase used to express significant difficulty in accomplishing something. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is suitable for most writing scenarios. It appears most frequently in news, media, and scientific contexts. Related phrases include "barely cope" and "struggle to handle". When employing "hardly manage", ensure that the context accurately reflects the level of struggle involved and that there are no simpler ways to express the intended meaning. Overstating a situation with "hardly manage" can be misleading, and therefore it's important to assess the degree of difficulty appropriately.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

struggle to handle

Stresses the difficulty in managing or dealing with something.

barely cope

Emphasizes struggling to deal with a situation or task.

can barely do

Highlights the effort in achieving the task.

scarcely succeed

Focuses on the minimal success achieved despite difficulty.

have trouble managing

Specifies management as an area of difficulty.

only just accomplish

Focuses on the minimal achievement of a goal.

just about handle

Highlights managing something with minimal effort.

almost fail to

Indicates that something nearly didn't happen.

narrowly avoid

Indicates a close call in averting a negative outcome.

find it difficult to

Highlights the presence of difficulties.

FAQs

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

Use "hardly manage" to express difficulty or struggle in achieving something. For example, "They could hardly manage to pay their bills after the job loss".

What's a good alternative to "hardly manage"?

Alternatives include "barely cope", "scarcely succeed", or "struggle to handle", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "hardly manage" or "can barely manage"?

Both "hardly manage" and "can barely manage" are correct, but "hardly manage" emphasizes the difficulty more directly. For instance, "I could hardly manage" is more forceful than "I can barely manage".

What is the difference between "hardly manage" and "just manage"?

"Just manage" implies success, though perhaps with difficulty, while "hardly manage" suggests a greater struggle and possibly a less successful outcome. If they "just manage", they succeeded, while if they hardly manage, their success is doubtful.