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
Seattle was hardly better, leaving a dozen on, but the Mariners came through.
—
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Weinberg went on a nationwide search to see if any stores still existed and found there were hardly any left after the retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2018.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
In that time, therapy was hardly discussed, definitely not in the 1960s and 1970s.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Della Valle noted that current law requesting companies to hit the third tier of the sub-supplying chain is hardly feasible.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Weinberg went on a nationwide search to see if any stores still existed and found there were hardly any left after the retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2018.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
In that time, therapy was hardly discussed, definitely not in the 1960s and 1970s.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Della Valle noted that current law requesting companies to hit the third tier of the sub-supplying chain is hardly feasible.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 10 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
-
For those who want to be entertained during brew time, look no further than this borosilicate glass London Sip espresso maker with a stainless steel base.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
-
By finishing in the bottom four, the Jazz can ensure that their pick is no worse than eighth after the draft lottery.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The ink is barely dry on Filip Gustavsson’s extension, but even though his signature is legible and that $34 million over five years starting next season is guaranteed and legally binding, Gustavsson still had butterflies heading into Thursday’s opener.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Angelica had barely a decade left, but Eliza lived another half century.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 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
-
Executive-produced by Knox herself, and produced by Monica Lewinsky, the series emphasizes how naïve Knox was at the time, and just how harshly she was treated by not only the press, but an entire country.—
Claudia Rosenbaum,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
-
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
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 13 Oct. 2025.
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