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adverb

difícilmente

hardly

Describe algo que cuesta mucho hacer o lograr, o que es poco probable que suceda.

Definition & meaning

Difícilmente is an adverb with two main meanings:

  1. With difficulty: describing an action that requires considerable effort.
    • Caminaba difícilmente — “He or she walked with difficulty.”
  2. Hardly or unlikely: indicating that something is improbable or almost impossible.
    • Difícilmente llegará a tiempo — “He or she is unlikely to arrive on time.”

Grammar & Word origin

It is an invariable adverb formed from the adjective difícil (“difficult”) and the suffix -mente, which often corresponds to English “-ly.” It retains the accent mark from the adjective.

Synonyms & antonyms

  • con dificultad — “with difficulty”; a close alternative when describing effort.
  • apenas — “hardly” or “barely”; often emphasizes a very small degree rather than difficulty or improbability.
  • probablemente no — “probably not”; expresses improbability more explicitly.
  • fácilmente — “easily”; the opposite when describing how an action is performed.

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Examples

Difícilmente podré llegar a tiempo con este tráfico.adverb

I will hardly be able to arrive on time with this traffic.

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