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
This is hardly the first controversy surrounding the famous statues.
—
Francesca Aton For Artnews, Robb Report, 3 June 2025
The mainstream media can hardly keep up reporting all of these idiocies.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Timely role-player contributions are hardly unique to this year.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
That was hardly all the series had to offer, though.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Francesca Aton For Artnews, Robb Report, 3 June 2025
The mainstream media can hardly keep up reporting all of these idiocies.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Timely role-player contributions are hardly unique to this year.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
That was hardly all the series had to offer, though.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
But a night like Saturday is also about the feelings that football engenders in people, no matter the origins of a team’s success.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
-
This piece of wearable tech creates cooling and warming sensations to keep you at your perfect temperature no matter the weather.—
Maggie Gillette,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 June 2025
Adverb
-
His penalty, barely three minutes earlier, led to a Roope Hintz power-play goal that narrowed Edmonton’s lead to 3-2, but then Ekholm blocked a shot from Thomas Harley at the right faceoff dot.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
The Dalmatian was discovered in dire condition by officials for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with barely any light left in her eyes, the shelter said.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
Adverb
-
Here, sadly, a template was being set for Fuller’s existence as a social being.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
As such, the vast majority of professional women in our workforce have interrupted careers; sadly, the resultant gaps on their resumés make resuming work and maintaining traction exceedingly difficult, sometimes impossible.—
Susan Rietano Davey,
Hartford Courant,
30 May 2025
Adverb
-
Fashion aside, the culture has given Loc a sense of belonging, and motivation to work harder at his craft.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
-
The second-term Republican president's remarks contrasted with his other more-combative public comments from throughout the long holiday weekend, including an all-caps message sent just hours earlier that swung hard at his political opponents and federal judges.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
Adverb
-
The charges never went to trial because of Lorch’s ill health before his death.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 May 2025
-
The latter approach, which requires the use of one or more drills, has never been tried before, but touch and go is tried and true; NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe and Japan's Hayabusa2 used it to snag samples of the asteroids Bennu and Ryugu, respectively.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
29 May 2025
Adverb
-
Solid port selection, including USB-C, is just the icing on the cake.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 May 2025
-
The first memorial day wasn't called Memorial Day Decoration Day, May 30, 1868, was held at Arlington National Cemetery, which was just one of 74 national cemeteries established after the Civil War.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
Adverb
-
This person should communicate well, listen intently and have extensive experience in this area of law.—
Lisa Zeiderman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
Noel, listening intently, sat beside Franco and Carlos Baerga on the bench.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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