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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hardly
The street-facing towers remain; the bishop retains an apartment with tall, appropriately canonical arched windows and stained glass; and the other new residences have an appealing tinge of weirdness that new construction hardly ever offers.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 27 June 2025
For starters, hardly any high-end (overclocked), performance-grade DDR5 has come available yet.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 June 2025
But the Lamont administration noted that revenue forecasting is hardly an exact science, and receipts from the income tax — which generates more than $11 billion annually or roughly half of the resources for the General Fund — can vary significantly in a short period of time.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
Electric vehicle charging is hardly convenient for drivers as sales outpace infrastructure.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 27 June 2025
For starters, hardly any high-end (overclocked), performance-grade DDR5 has come available yet.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 June 2025
But the Lamont administration noted that revenue forecasting is hardly an exact science, and receipts from the income tax — which generates more than $11 billion annually or roughly half of the resources for the General Fund — can vary significantly in a short period of time.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
Electric vehicle charging is hardly convenient for drivers as sales outpace infrastructure.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
However, no matter how far Jo finds herself from her old life, her mission remains the same, to keep her son alive.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
-
Senate Democrats plan to bring up the claim that shortly after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to speed up deportations, Bove said planes carrying migrants needed to take off no matter what.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
25 June 2025
Adverb
-
Left-hander David Peterson, who, aside from Kodai Senga, has been the most reliable starting pitcher on the staff, barely made it through four innings Sunday.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
-
But in the front, a tie waist just barely reveals swim bottoms underneath, which provide ample coverage while walking around the pool or beach.—
Claire Harmeyer,
People.com,
23 June 2025
Adverb
-
The other three liars are, sadly, deceased, and much of the older generation has wasted away due to age or dementia.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
25 June 2025
-
But whilst many of the original characters have changed beyond recognition in this chaotic spin-off show that fans have come to love/hate, Aidan, sadly, has not.—
Lisa Niven-Phillips,
Vogue,
25 June 2025
Adverb
-
In travel, this shows up in places that are calm, intentional, and not trying too hard.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
This is important because using either the non-taxpayer midlevel exception or the bi-annual exception would hard cap the Heat at the first apron of $195.9 million.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
Adverb
-
From Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2, to even playing the seductive Poison Ivy in the campy Batman & Robin film, Thurman, 55, has never been far from a hot topic with movie lovers.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Cartwright, the daughter of an Oklahoma congressman, never achieved stardom, but has some great credits beginning in the 1950s.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
1 July 2025
Adverb
-
Either way, there’s no wrong answer—just the one that suits your next adventure best.—
Jill Schildhouse,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The plea comes just weeks before Kohberger's trial was set to begin.—
Kayna Whitworth,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
Adverb
-
Throughout the closing argument, Combs nodded and listened intently, either leaning back in his chair or crossing his arms on the table.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
27 June 2025
-
Macron, seated beside Meloni in the round-table working session with other members of the summit, leaned to his right to whisper a message to Meloni, who stared intently ahead.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share