different between inflexible vs hardly

English

Etymology

From Middle French inflexible, from Latin inflexibilis. See also in- +? flexible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?fl?ks?bl?/

Adjective

inflexible (comparative more inflexible, superlative most inflexible)

1. Not flexible; not capable of bending or being bent.

   Synonyms: stiff, rigid, firm, unyielding

2. Not willing to change, e.g. one's opinion or habits.
3. Not able to be changed or adapted to circumstances.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:obstinate
• unflexible

Antonyms

• flexible

Related terms

• inflexibility
• inflexibleness
• inflexibly

Translations

References

• inflexible in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “inflexible”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin inflexiblis.

Adjective

inflexible (epicene, plural inflexibles)

1. inflexible

Antonyms

• flexible

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin inflexiblis.

Adjective

inflexible (masculine and feminine plural inflexibles)

1. inflexible

   Antonym: flexible

Derived terms

• inflexiblement

Related terms

• inflexibilitat

Further reading

• “inflexible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “inflexible” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “inflexible” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “inflexible” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

in- +? flexible

Adjective

inflexible (plural inflexibles)

1. inflexible

Derived terms

• inflexiblement

Related terms

• inflexibilité

Further reading

• “inflexible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Galician

Alternative forms

• inflexíbel

Etymology

From Latin inflexiblis.

Adjective

inflexible m or f (plural inflexibles)

1. inflexible

Antonyms

• flexible, flexíbel

Derived terms

• inflexiblemente

Related terms

• inflexibilidade

Further reading

• “inflexible” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin inflexiblis.

Adjective

inflexible (plural inflexibles)

1. inflexible

   Antonym: flexible

Derived terms

• inflexiblemente

Related terms

• inflexibilidad

Further reading

• “inflexible” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardl??e (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard +? -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?h??dli/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?h??dli/,

Adverb

hardly (comparative hardlier or more hardly, superlative hardliest or most hardly)

1. (manner, obsolete) Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion.
   • , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.148:

     Let him hardly be possest with an honest curiositie to search out the nature and causes of all things […].
2. (manner, archaic) Harshly, severely; in a hard manner.

3. (now rare) With difficulty.
   • , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.234:

     And what gentle flame soever doth warme the heart of young virgins, yet are they hardly drawne to leave and forgoe their mothers, to betake them to their husbands […].

   • 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, page 40:

     While in Chelsea, Anne Smiley pined, taking very hardly to her unaccustomed role of wife abandoned.

4. (degree) Barely, only just, almost not.

Usage notes

• In the modern sense "barely", it is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never.
  • Compare example sentence with I almost never watch television
  • Because of the anomalous sense of this word, expressions such as "hardly working" have an opposite meaning to what the etymology ("hard" + "-ly") would suggest. "Working hard" suggests that considerable work is being done, whereas "hardly working" suggests that very little work is being done.

Synonyms

• (barely, almost not or not quite): barely, just, only just, scarcely

Translations

Interjection

hardly

1. Not really.

   I think the Beatles are a really overrated band. ? Hardly!