Hardly ever, rarely, scarcely, seldom

 Hardly ever, rarely, scarcely and seldom are frequency adverbs. We can use them to refer to things that almost never happen, or do not happen very often. They have a negative meaning. We use them without not. Rarely, scarcely and seldom are more common in writing than in speaking:

Tuan hardly ever smiles.

 

She scarcely saw her grandchildren.

Mr. Hung, the Math teacher, seldom shouted. 

Miss Nga hardly ever went on holiday.