hardly more than

USAGE SUMMARY

"hardly more than" is a valid and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to express that the amount of something is substantially smaller than expected. For example, "His salary was hardly more than minimum wage."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Scientific plant breeding dates back hardly more than 50 years.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Often the concept is hardly more than a slogan.

The New York Times

At 17 he is hardly more than a child.

The New York Times

If the legs were off, a hole hardly more than half that size is required.

Independent

It is indeed tiny, hardly more than a galley with two stacked ovens.

The New Yorker

In person, Tautou is strikingly small, at hardly more than a hundred pounds.

The New Yorker

At the moment LISA is hardly more than a twinkle in a rocket scientist's eye.

The Economist

The people from the Deep South were very young — hardly more than children.

The New Yorker

The space holds hardly more than fifteen people, and there is no bathroom.

The New Yorker

He was hardly more than a child, and he wanted to be a free man.

The New Yorker

Today, the theme seems hardly more than a flimsy excuse to end a long first act.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hardly more than" to emphasize that a quantity or degree is surprisingly small. For example, "The town's population was hardly more than a few hundred residents."

Common error

Avoid using "hardly more than" when you actually mean 'significantly more than'. The phrase emphasizes a small quantity, not a large one. For example, if the project involved a significant investment of resources, it would be wrong to say the investment was "hardly more than" minimal.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly more than" functions as a degree modifier, serving to diminish the perceived quantity or extent of something. As Ludwig AI confirms, it effectively conveys that the actual amount is notably small, a fact supported by numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Encyclopedias

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Science

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hardly more than" is a common phrase used to underscore that an amount or degree is surprisingly small or limited. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and broad applicability across diverse contexts. As demonstrated by the numerous examples, it is prevalent in news, academic, and encyclopedic sources, holding a neutral to formal tone. When aiming to stress the surprisingly small quantity of something, "hardly more than" provides an effective and nuanced way to convey that information, with alternatives like "barely exceeding" or "little above" offering subtle variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

barely exceeding

Emphasizes that something just surpasses a certain limit, with a focus on the small margin of difference.

scarcely surpassing

Highlights the minimal extent to which something goes beyond a particular level.

little above

Indicates that something is only slightly higher or greater than a specified point.

just a shade over

Suggests a minimal increase or difference above a given amount, implying a close proximity.

not significantly greater than

Focuses on the lack of substantial difference between two quantities or values.

marginally exceeding

Indicates that something exceeds a limit, but only to a small degree or extent.

virtually the same as

Highlights the near equivalence of two things, implying minimal difference.

almost identical to

Stresses the strong similarity between two things, suggesting minimal variation.

close to the same as

Emphasizes the proximity of two quantities or values, implying a small difference.

effectively equivalent to

Indicates that two things are functionally the same, despite any minor differences.

FAQs

How can I use "hardly more than" in a sentence?

Use "hardly more than" to emphasize that an amount or degree is surprisingly small. For example, "The effort yielded "barely more than" a minimal result."

What phrases are similar to "hardly more than"?

Similar phrases include "just a little over", "only slightly above", or "virtually the same as", all indicating a small quantity.

Is "hardly more than" formal or informal?

"Hardly more than" can be used in both formal and informal contexts to emphasize a surprisingly small amount or degree. It is frequently observed in journalistic, academic, and literary sources.

What's the difference between "hardly more than" and "much more than"?

"Hardly more than" emphasizes a small quantity, while "much more than" emphasizes a large quantity. They are antonyms.