1
as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
the new judge vowed to deal hardly with repeat offenders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in no
certainly not
I would hardly think someone with her attitude could make a good manager
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in barely
by a very small margin
we were hardly able to make it back to camp before darkness set in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sadly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
his broker did not think that he would take his financial losses so hardly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in hard
with great effort or determination
the state championship was a hardly fought contest between two evenly matched teams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardly
The filmmaker was alarmed, but hardly shocked.
—
Ben Croll, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Salt for ice control is hardly a new idea.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
There was only one small gaffe on stage at CBS Radford in Studio City when some of the contestants came out too early towards the end, but it was hardly noticed.
—Peter White, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
This is hardly what Lululemon needs to start the new calendar year—Lululemon stock has dropped 11% in the last week—or to cap its challenging fiscal 2025 year, which will close at the end of the month.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Ben Croll, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Salt for ice control is hardly a new idea.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
There was only one small gaffe on stage at CBS Radford in Studio City when some of the contestants came out too early towards the end, but it was hardly noticed.
—Peter White, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
This is hardly what Lululemon needs to start the new calendar year—Lululemon stock has dropped 11% in the last week—or to cap its challenging fiscal 2025 year, which will close at the end of the month.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
In the ninth century, a severely disabled woman was buried, her feet bound, in an annex of the church in Elsau, outside Zürich.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The time is never right to severely chop off your crape myrtle.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Both papers hurried to make the most of this dramatic event, no matter how little reporters actually knew about the identity of the gunman or his motives for shooting four people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But advice, no matter how rigorous, does not carry accountability.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Soft polymers stretch easily but generate little force, while stiffer ones produce force yet barely move.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Zayn turned his attention to Trick with a dive to the outside where Williams barely caught him.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
This should be, but sadly will probably not be, the line that shouldn’t have been crossed.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Discovering the chemicals responsible for smoke taint is, sadly, only half the battle.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The previously slumping Geekie scored two goals, including the game-winner late in the third period, a shot that was hammered so hard that no one saw the puck go in the net, until Geekie raced down and pointed to where the puck was lodged.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
That history is why Van's post-UFC 324 trolling hits so hard.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The government harshly policed interracial relationships.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Harbaugh must act swiftly and harshly, though, in delivering the change the Giants need.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The Kremlin insisted that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but never fully captured.—
KAMILA HRABCHUK,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Sutter never capitalized on the finding either.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Start with a number that feels slightly uncomfortable and go up from there.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Mallama noted that satellites in the Amazon Leo constellation (which used to be known as Project Kuiper) are significantly dimmer than the BlueBirds and slightly fainter than most Starlink satellites, which orbit at a lower altitude of around 300 miles (480 km).—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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