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
Still, this is hardly ideal for a defensive line that’s been only adequate outside of defensive end Boubacar Traore.
—
Pete Sampson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
To be clear, access is nice for journalists, but hardly essential.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Today there was hardly a cloud in the bold blue sky, or only a few anyway.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
But Atlanta hardly stood still this summer.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Pete Sampson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
To be clear, access is nice for journalists, but hardly essential.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Today there was hardly a cloud in the bold blue sky, or only a few anyway.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
But Atlanta hardly stood still this summer.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
In prison, she was often severely mistreated.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
-
But considering that the injury ended Shrader's season and severely affected his kicking leg, was a fine enough?—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
But excellence and independence are all but impossible to consistently maintain without the steady backing of mentors or salaries, and when the incentives of the internet reward virality no matter how it’s achieved.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
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Nevertheless The Grabber is a fun nemesis, and this movie no doubt is set up for yet another sequel in a few years time, hopefully with Finn and Gwen as young adults still haunted.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Plus, Jeff soon regains his memory, and after realizing he’s now forced to be a working stiff barely keeping his head above water, he’s pissed.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Front row at the Dior spring 2026 show in Paris, a few weeks later, her layers were prominent; the short ends just barely brushing her oversize sunglasses.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
It was sadly demolished in 1980 to make way for a parking lot, but its legacy lives on in the new club.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Ella’s story is touching yet sadly not unique.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
That youthful connection continued through other hosts who took over NBC's Late Night franchise, from the serious silliness of Conan O'Brien to the hard-partying glad-handing of Jimmy Fallon.—
Eric Deggans,
NPR,
13 Oct. 2025
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But generally, football fans are blessed to have multiple rankings working hard to pump out data.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The Justices have also harshly criticized lower-court judges who have blocked the Administration’s actions, including Young, who went so far as to apologize from the bench.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Despite those concessions, the law has been harshly criticized by Neighbors for a Better California, a group that advocates for preservation of single-family neighborhoods.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Right now, there’s a broad consensus that the global populist right understands our almost post-literate new media in a way their opponents never will.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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God never sanctions cruelty; love that harms is not love at all.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Their responses, which have been edited slightly for length, can be found below.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
14 Oct. 2025
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All of them had very low rankings for student selectivity and were fairly low for education and career outcomes, but were slightly better ranked for the campus safety and cost and financing rankings.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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