is hardly understood

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is hardly understood" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express that something is difficult to comprehend or not well grasped by most people. Example: "The complex theories presented in the lecture are hardly understood by the students."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

However, the molecular and genetic mechanism of magnetite biomineralization is hardly understood although iron oxide formation occurs widely in many higher animals as well as microorganisms.

Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering

Most later horse painters claimed to follow Han Gan or Cao Ba, but the actual stylistic contrast between them was already reported in Bei (Northern) Song times as no longer distinguishable and today is hardly understood.

Britannica

So far, it is hardly understood how these cells are recruited into proliferation and self-renewal.

Plosone

In particular, the role of B cells in MS is hardly understood.

Acta neuropathologica communications

The members of the UGT1A gene family are known as drug-conjugating liver enzymes involved in drug excretion, but their function in tumor cells is hardly understood.

Cell Death and Disease

Although the α and β isoforms have had some physiological and pathological functions assigned to them, including in gene regulation [ 3, 4], stress responses [ 5], insulin signalling [ 6] and cancer [ 7, 8], PI5P4Kγ is hardly understood at all.

Biochemical Journal

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

These emerging patterns can be hardly understood by merely taking into account individual cell activities.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Although this plays a major role in chemical mechanical planarization of diamond or machining of rocks, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are hardly understood.

Carbon

Moreover, through our immigration rules (which are hardly understood by the average citizen) and our lack of border border control, we are exponentially growing the left hand side of the Bell curve.

University of California, Berkeley

Until now, the underlying thermodynamics of residual stress formation in metal cutting are hardly understood quantitatively, which explains the current dominance of empirical-iterative design procedures of cutting processes regarding residual stresses.

Wear

Chronic diseases are robust systems whose emergent molecular properties are hardly understood.

Cytometry Part A

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "is hardly understood", ensure the context clearly indicates what aspect is not well-comprehended. Provide additional details to clarify the subject's complexity or the reasons for the lack of understanding.

Common error

Avoid using "is hardly understood" when the subject is partially understood. Instead, consider phrases that reflect a partial or incomplete understanding.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is hardly understood" functions as a qualifier, indicating a limited degree of comprehension. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable. This suggests that while some aspects may be known, the full nature or implications of something remain unclear.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "is hardly understood" is a grammatically sound expression used to convey a limited degree of comprehension. According to Ludwig, it is found in various contexts, including science, news media, and academic writing. The phrase functions as a qualifier, indicating that while some aspects of a subject might be known, a complete or thorough understanding is lacking. It is suitable for formal and neutral registers, expressing uncertainty or the need for further investigation. Related phrases include "is barely understood" and "is poorly understood", offering nuanced alternatives. When using the phrase, ensure that the context clearly indicates what is not well-comprehended and avoid overstating the lack of understanding.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is barely understood

Indicates a minimal level of understanding, similar to "is hardly understood" but implying even less comprehension.

is poorly understood

Emphasizes the low quality of understanding rather than the lack of it, although the practical meaning is very close.

is scarcely understood

Suggests that understanding is rare or infrequent, akin to "is hardly understood".

is little known

Shifts the focus to a lack of knowledge rather than a lack of comprehension.

remains enigmatic

Highlights the mysterious or puzzling nature of something, implying a lack of understanding.

defies comprehension

Indicates that something is impossible to understand, a stronger statement than "is hardly understood".

is a mystery

Simplifies the concept to a state of being unknown or unexplained.

is not well-known

Focuses on the lack of widespread knowledge about a subject.

eludes understanding

Suggests that something actively avoids or escapes being understood.

is beyond grasp

Implies a difficulty in understanding due to complexity or abstractness.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "is hardly understood"?

You can use alternatives such as "is barely understood", "is poorly understood", or "is scarcely understood" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What does it mean when something "is hardly understood"?

It means that the subject is not well-comprehended or grasped by most people. There may be some understanding, but it is limited or incomplete.

Is "is hardly understood" formal or informal?

The phrase "is hardly understood" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and the overall tone of the writing.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when using "is hardly understood"?

A common mistake is to use it when something is completely unknown rather than partially understood. In such cases, phrases like "is unknown" or "remains a mystery" might be more accurate.