(1)不十分，仅仅，才(barely;only just)：～know the family/finish one's breakfast 不大认识这家人/刚吃完早餐;could～stay awake/refrain from weeping 昏昏欲睡/几乎忍不住要哭了;We had～arrived/H～had we arrived at the station when it began to snow. 我们刚刚到达车站，天就开始下起雪来。～arrive before one had to go hack 刚刚到达就又得回去;〖同〗scarcely;

(2)简直(几乎)不(almost not，none，ever)：can～wait to hear the news 迫不及待地想听到这个消息;It is～likely true. 这几乎不可能是真的。(sb) be～likely to forgive sb(某人)几乎不可能原谅某人;have～any money几乎没有多少钱了;be～possible that... ……几乎是不可能的;～go out these days 这些天几乎不外出;There is～any noise from the streets. 街上几乎没有什么噪音。H～anybody agrees with you. 几乎没有人同意你。(question) be～to the point (问题)几乎没有问到要点;be～visible in the shadow 在阴影里几乎看不见;That was～the way to greet a friend. 那几乎不是问候朋友的方法。〖反〗certainly，really，truly;

(3)一点也不，决不(not at all;not reasonable)：can～blame sb/ask sb directly for more money 绝不能怪某人/直接向某人多要钱;This is～the time for doing it. 决不是干这事的时候。

【用法】 1)hardly与scarcely，barely一样，后面接when，但no sooner后面接than，如：The game had hardly/scarcely/barely begun when it started raining. The game had no sooner begun than it started raining.(比赛刚一开始，就下起雨来。) 2)当句子以hardly或scarcely开头时，句子主谓要倒装，例如：Hardly/Scarcely had we arrived when she started complaining. No sooner had we arrived than she started complaining.(我们一到，她就开始抱怨。) 3)hardly与scarcely一样，可接any和ever表示“几乎不”，“几乎从不”(但barely和no sooner不可)，例如：We've hardly/scarcely any money left.(我们几乎没剩下什么钱。) He's hardly/scarcely ever late for work.(他上班几乎没迟到过。) hardly与scarcely一样，还可以与at all连用表示“几乎没有”(但barely与no sooner不可)，例如：We hardly/scarcely got wet at all.(我们几乎没有淋湿。) 4)hardly， scarcely 和barely均有否定的含义，与否定词连用都是不标准的，如：I can't hardly wait. (应为 I can hardly wait.)

【辨异】1)hardly与almost、nearly 和scarcely的区别见ALMOST。2)hardly 与barely和 scarcely的区别见BARELY。