hardly understandable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hardly understandable" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It means that something is difficult to understand or comprehend. Example: The lecturer's thick accent made her presentation hardly understandable to the international students in the audience.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

To put it in a nutshell, in this quest I first found that whatever way you look at it the quantum mechanical formalism, when taken at face value, compels us to consider that two particles that have once interacted always remain bound in a very strange, hardly understandable way even when they are far apart, the connection being independent of distance.

The Guardian

97 answers were in German, one was written in hardly understandable broken German, seven answers were written partly in German and partly in English, and five were in English.

Environmental Sciences Europe

Q: What made you decide to take part in a contest like MT 180? Artaud: A nonscientist friend of mine often teases me about my thesis being hardly understandable and about Ph.D. students being so bad at communicating.

Science Magazine

In addition, because osteoporosis is a multifactorial skeletal disease, the link between BMD and the risk factors may be hardly understandable using the classic statistics.

Diabetes Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

That's understandable; hardly anyone wants another Middle East war.

The New York Times

To claim, with Skolimowski and Simon, that technology is about what is to be or what ought to be rather than what is may serve to distinguish it from science but will hardly make it understandable why so much philosophical reflection on technology has taken the form of socio-cultural critique.

SEP

That Case rapidly becomes fractious, fretting over her monitor and her out-of-tune guitar, is understandable but hardly engaging.

The Guardian - Music

"The preference for anonymity of those confidential informants involved in actual criminal conduct is presumably a desire to escape criminal prosecution, and this preference, while understandable, is hardly deserving of constitutional protection," he wrote.

The New Yorker

This is a significant and understandable shift, if hardly a salutary one.

The New York Times

Your excitement to share your enthusiasm for your new city is understandable, and could hardly be considered selfish.

The New York Times

This, too, is understandable, but it hardly squares with Blair's initial protestations on the plane to Hong Kong.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "hardly understandable", ensure the context clearly indicates what is causing the difficulty in understanding, such as complex jargon or poor articulation.

Common error

Avoid using "hardly understandable" when simpler phrases like "unclear" or "difficult to understand" would suffice, as it can sound overly formal or pretentious in everyday conversation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly understandable" primarily functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct, serving to describe something that presents significant difficulties in being understood. This is demonstrated in Ludwig's examples, highlighting contexts where information or language is challenging to grasp.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hardly understandable" is a grammatically correct adjective phrase used to describe something difficult to comprehend. Ludwig AI indicates that the term, although grammatically sound, is relatively rare in usage, appearing primarily in News & Media and Science contexts. While versatile, it should be used judiciously, avoiding overuse in simple contexts where simpler alternatives may be more appropriate. Related phrases include "barely comprehensible" and "difficult to grasp", offering nuanced options for expressing challenges in understanding. Remember to ensure that the context clarifies the source of the difficulty when employing this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Barely comprehensible

Emphasizes the minimal level of understanding possible.

Difficult to grasp

Focuses on the effort required to understand something.

Not easily understood

A straightforward rephrasing, highlighting the lack of ease in understanding.

Vaguely intelligible

Suggests a slight possibility of understanding, though not clearly.

Murky and confusing

Describes the unclear nature of something that hinders understanding.

Clouded in obscurity

Indicates that something is hidden or unclear, making it hard to understand.

Elusive to comprehension

Highlights the difficulty in capturing or understanding something.

Beyond one's ken

Suggests that something is outside one's range of knowledge or understanding.

Resistant to interpretation

Implies active opposition to being understood.

Obfuscated and unclear

Describes something made deliberately difficult to understand.

FAQs

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

You can use "hardly understandable" to describe something that is difficult to comprehend due to complexity, poor explanation, or other factors. For example: "The technical manual was so poorly written that it was "hardly understandable"."

What are some alternatives to "hardly understandable"?

Alternatives include phrases like "difficult to understand", "barely comprehensible", or "unclear", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "hardly understandable" more formal than "difficult to understand"?

Yes, "hardly understandable" can be perceived as slightly more formal. "Difficult to understand" is generally more neutral and widely applicable.

What makes something "hardly understandable"?

Something might be "hardly understandable" if it involves complex jargon, is poorly explained, or contains contradictory information. It suggests a significant barrier to comprehension.