1/9 5:53 AM -- On Wednesday morning, Kevin Hart ended the debate with a hard "no" and said, "There's no more conversation about it ... I'm over that. I'm over the moment."

So, Kevin Hart saying there IS a chance he'll host the Oscars this year ... is one way to take what he just told us in NYC.

Kevin was leaving an Equinox Tuesday in NYC, when he was asked him where's the smart money going IF you're inclined to wager on whether he returns to the Oscars hosting gig. It's the obvious question after he issued a very direct apology Monday to the LGBTQ community for his homophobic remarks in the past.

You gotta see Kevin's response -- he used the word "slim" to describe the chances he'll host, BUT ... he also said a lot of complimentary things about the Motion Picture Academy.

One thing's clear ... if it doesn't happen this year, Kevin's open to hosting the big show sometime in the future.

But again ... he's NOT totally ruling it out for this year.