it has hardly been

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it has hardly been" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something has occurred to a very small extent or not at all, often in a negative context. Example: "It has hardly been a week since we last met, yet it feels like ages."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

Yet it has hardly been plain sailing.

Independent

It has hardly been smooth sailing.

The New York Times - Sports

But it has hardly been a routine first week.

The New York Times - Sports

It has hardly been a blanket or egalitarian policy.

The New York Times

It has hardly been played in 200 years.

The New York Times

In current literature it has hardly been investigated due to the complexity of the system.

Applied Thermal Engineering

However, it has hardly been applied to actual structures because of the high cost for production.

Construction and Building Materials

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

It had hardly been worth the effort.

The New York Times

While Derian made significant changes to the interior, the envelope itself looked as if it had hardly been touched.

The New York Times

But it had hardly been a contest to relish with both players noticeably unable to give of their best.

The Guardian - Sport

It had hardly been a difficult ascent to the summit churning up the mountain inside the warm cabin of a 12-seat snowcat equipped with a flat-screen television.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it has hardly been" to express a situation where something has occurred to a very small extent or almost not at all. It's effective for emphasizing the lack of something or the minimal impact of an event.

Common error

Avoid using "it has hardly been" when you want to express that something has been very successful or impactful. This phrase is best suited for negative or neutral contexts where you want to emphasize a lack of something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it has hardly been" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate the degree to which an action or event has occurred. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it has hardly been" is a versatile phrase used to express that something has happened to a very small degree or almost not at all. Ludwig AI indicates this phrase is grammatically correct and frequently encountered in various contexts, particularly in News & Media. While it's suitable for many situations, avoiding it in overly formal academic writing is advisable. Remember that this phrase is best for negative or neutral situations where you want to emphasize a lack of something.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it has barely been

Emphasizes the narrowness of a margin or the smallness of an extent.

it has scarcely been

Highlights the infrequency or rarity of an occurrence.

it has rarely been

Focuses on the unusual nature or uncommon occurrence of something.

it has minimally been

Stresses the small quantity or degree to which something has happened.

it has negligibly been

Implies something is so small as to be unimportant or insignificant.

it has infrequently been

Highlights that the thing has not happened often.

it has almost not been

Emphasizes the near absence of an event or situation.

it has virtually not been

Implies that for all practical purposes, something has not happened.

it has essentially not been

Underlines the lack of any meaningful presence or occurrence.

it has practically not been

Suggests the result is as good as if something didn't happen.

FAQs

How can I use "it has hardly been" in a sentence?

You can use "it has hardly been" to indicate that something has occurred to a very small extent or not at all. For example, "It has hardly been a week since the project started, and we're already facing challenges."

What's a good alternative to "it has hardly been"?

Alternatives include "it has barely been", "it has scarcely been", or "it has rarely been", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "it has hardly been" grammatically correct?

Yes, "it has hardly been" is grammatically correct and commonly used in English to express that something has occurred to a very small extent or not at all.

What is the difference between "it has hardly been" and "it has not been"?

"It has hardly been" implies something exists or happened to a minimal degree. Whereas, "it has not been" suggests a complete absence. For instance, "it has hardly been tested" means it was tested very little, while "it has not been tested" signifies no testing occurred.