hardly used

USAGE SUMMARY

"hardly used" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to add emphasis to the idea that something has had very little use. For example, "The couch in the guest room is hardly used, so it's still in great condition."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Haven't hardly used them since.

The New Yorker

By the 60s hardly used.

The Guardian - Travel

They hardly used their spikes.

The New York Times - Sports

I hardly used the PowerPoints I prepared.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Signed him and then hardly used him.

The Guardian - Sport

She confesses that it's hardly used.

The New York Times

"We hardly used the air-conditioner," Mr. Tusa said.

The New York Times

Most streets in the old village do have names, but they are hardly used.

The Washington Post

So is coriander seed, oddly, a spice that is hardly used in Mexican cooking.

The New York Times - Food

'One centre-half, king-size, as new, hardly used,' read the sales pitch.

The Guardian - Sport

As a result, it is hardly used in the summer months.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the condition of an item, use "hardly used" to emphasize its near-new state. For instance, "The equipment is "hardly used", making it a valuable acquisition."

Common error

Avoid using "hardly used" when something has been used a few times. "Hardly" implies minimal use. If it has been used more than a few times, consider "lightly used" or "occasionally used" instead.

Linguistic Context

"Hardly used" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb. It indicates the extent to which an action or object is utilized, emphasizing its minimal or infrequent usage. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hardly used" is a grammatically correct and common phrase that serves to emphasize the minimal usage of something. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment, and its widespread presence in diverse sources, including news, science, and academia, underscores its versatility. When writing, ensure that the phrase accurately reflects the degree of usage, and consider alternatives like "virtually unused" or "lightly used" for nuanced expressions. Remember to avoid the double negative construction "haven't hardly used".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Virtually unused

Implies that something is so close to being unused that it is practically the same as being unused.

Almost never used

Emphasizes the rarity of use by stating "almost never used."

Seldom employed

Replaces "used" with "employed", suggesting a more formal or technical context.

Infrequently utilized

Substitutes "hardly" with "infrequently" and "used" with "utilized", indicating a less common occurrence.

Hardly ever employed

Combines "hardly ever" with "employed" for a more emphatic and formal version of "hardly used".

Rarely implemented

Changes "used" to "implemented", implying a process or system that is not often put into practice.

Lightly used

Suggests the item has seen some use but not much.

Minimally exploited

Replaces "used" with "exploited", suggesting that the resource or opportunity is not taken advantage of very much.

Barely touched

Uses "barely touched" to convey a sense of something being almost completely unused, often implying a physical object.

Scarcely applied

Replaces "used" with "applied", which indicates that a rule, method, or principle is not often put into action.

FAQs

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

You can use "hardly used" to describe something that has seen very little use. For example, "The guest bedroom is "hardly used"" or "This feature is "hardly used" in the software".

What's the difference between "hardly used" and "rarely used"?

"Hardly used" implies minimal use, close to none, while "rarely used" suggests infrequent use, but still more than "hardly used".

What are some alternatives to saying "hardly used"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "virtually unused", "seldom employed", or "lightly used".

Is it correct to say "haven't hardly used"?

No, "haven't hardly used" is a double negative and grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "haven't used" or "have hardly used".