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
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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
In another activity, the humanoid was taught to cook food, albeit for hardly a minute or two.
—
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
It should be noted that manufacturers hardly ever use that rule when pricing their bikes for different markets.
—New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2025
Quite the change from the 1960s, when the Big Three automakers dominated and China made hardly any cars.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
As baseball continues to seek ways to appeal to a younger generation, starting and ending games before kids get out of school hardly seems like the appropriate path.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
It should be noted that manufacturers hardly ever use that rule when pricing their bikes for different markets.
—New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2025
Quite the change from the 1960s, when the Big Three automakers dominated and China made hardly any cars.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
As baseball continues to seek ways to appeal to a younger generation, starting and ending games before kids get out of school hardly seems like the appropriate path.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
On July 14, a jury of 10 women and two men found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the shooting that killed his father-in-law Gary Spohr, 70, and severely wounded his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68, at their home near Lake Tahoe.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Hamas' top leadership has been assassinated, its fighting capacity severely curbed in Gaza.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Look no further than chocolate cosmos, a tuberous perennial with velvety blooms and a decadent fragrance.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Look no further than the wagers presented on the daily high temperatures of cities across the country.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Las Vegas Aces guard Dana Evans could barely speak on the eve of the 2025 WNBA Finals.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Ross passed the day's examination with flying colors, barely flinching at the rubber chicken.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Liver surgery followed and more chemotherapy but sadly the cancer has continued to spread.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The film and book's title, as Abbott explained on Zoom ahead of the film's release, expresses their unique world—one that sadly wasn’t built to last.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Nobody worked harder in practice, and that became contagious to his teammates.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The best curtains on Amazon are hard-working pieces of home decor.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
In the 42nd minute, having cut inside Niang, Leysen lunged wildly to try and prevent Elanga recovering the ball, but got nowhere near it and conceded a penalty (he was harshly adjudged to have handballed it during the second half for another spot kick, too).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
He was immediately called out by a member of the Directing Staff, who addressed him harshly by his team number.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
While never quite fluent or undeniable against Forest, two goals, 18 shots and nine on target told a basic but eloquent story.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
From Hollywood soundstages to Paris runways and Brooklyn’s creative hubs, Black excellence continued to shine brightly—proving that no matter the city or season, culture never takes a day off.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
6 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
However, this list is slightly different.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
While each stage of the perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal journey has certain hallmarks, each woman will experience each slightly differently.—
Katherine Speller,
Flow Space,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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