(one) can scarcely believe (one's) eyes
One is unable to believe or accept what is happening right in front of one. She could scarcely believe her eyes when all of her extended relatives surprised her by coming to our wedding. This place is so dirty, I can scarcely believe my eyes! Wait, is this new car my birthday gift? Oh my gosh, I can scarcely believe my eyes!
hardly ever
Nearly never; very infrequently; only on a few or rare occasions. We used to go visit Grandma and Grandpa every year when I was a kid, but nowadays I hardly ever see them. I hardly ever get the chance to go out to the movies alone since having kids. I'm surprised that girl has any friends at all—she's hardly ever at school anymore.
hardly have time to breathe
To be extremely busy. We're trying to finish up that big report, so I hardly have time to breathe these days. Between working two part-time jobs, volunteering on the weekends, and looking after my little brother, I hardly have time to breathe this summer. Sorry I haven't been in touch, but between work and our new baby, I hardly have time to breathe.
scarcely ever
Nearly never; very infrequently; only on a few or rare occasions. We used to go visit Grandma and Grandpa every year when I was a kid, but nowadays, I scarcely ever see them. I scarcely ever get the chance to go out to the movies alone since having kids.
scarcely have time to breathe
To be extremely busy. We're trying to finish up that big report, so I scarcely have time to breathe these days.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
exchange no more than
some number of words with someone and not exchange more than some number of words with someone; hardly exchange more than some number of words with someone; scarcely exchange more than some number of words with someone to say hardly anything to someone. (Always negative.) I know Tom was there, but I am sure that I didn't exchange more than three words with him before he left. We hardly exchanged more than two words the whole evening. Sally and Liz didn't have enough time to exchange more than five words.
hardly have time to breathe
and scarcely have time to breatheFig. to be very busy. This was such a busy day. I hardly had time to breathe. They made him work so hard that he scarcely had time to breathe.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
hardly ever
Also, rarely ever, scarcely ever. Very seldom, almost never, as in This kind of thief is hardly ever caught, or He rarely ever brings up his wartime experiences. The ever in these expressions, first recorded in 1694, serves as an intensifier.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.