HARDLY Synonyms: 281 Similar and Opposite Words

hardly

adverb

ˈhärd-lē

Definition of hardly

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

as in no

certainly not I would hardly think someone with her attitude could make a good manager

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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 Although those candidates have drawn much attention, this is hardly a new trend. — Jeffrey Anvari-Clark, The Conversation, 10 July 2026 Neither of his parents had played sports at a high level, but that hardly mattered. — Latif Love july 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026 Gun culture is deeply rooted in Turkey, and the gift hardly triggered any reaction in the country. — ABC News, 10 July 2026 The Wimbledon women’s singles draw has hardly been short on drama. — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly

Adverb

But the dramatic cut in drug production was also due in part to farmers being given alternative crops to the cultivation of opium poppies, De Croo said, noting that funding for such programs had been severely curtailed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
However, local journalism's ability to cover these profound changes is severely declining, with a 75% drop in local reporting since the early 2000s.

— Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of severely

Adverb

And this year was no different as 30,419 fans showed up on Saturday night.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026
As Eric Suarez and Brandon Welty pulled their duo of airboats off to the side of an island in the Everglades, this spot looked no different from the rest of the canal.

— Alie Skowronski, Miami Herald, 5 July 2026

Definition of no

Adverb

Early on, pressure for more frequent disclosure came not from government regulators, who barely existed before 1934, but from investors.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Paris — As France braces for another heatwave, it’s barely recovered from the last one.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

Definition of barely

Adverb

To its sadly unusual credit, each Enola Holmes film has taken on a different social issue to address, albeit at times rather on the nose-edly.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
The Prince of Wales sadly won’t be attending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding Friday in New York City, but the heir to the British throne nonetheless made sure to offer some royal prestige to events.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 July 2026

Definition of sadly

Adverb

Yet others — particularly those who identify as Jews through ethnic, cultural or family ties, rather than religion — feel less connected to Israel and judge its actions in the ongoing conflict more harshly.

— David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
The Street graded Meta’s capital expenditure intentions more harshly relative to its hyperscaler peers ( Amazon , Microsoft , and Alphabet ), as monetization of that spend would depend almost entirely on internal demand for compute.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 8 July 2026

Definition of harshly

Adverb

The Nimitz, a pop culture icon, never received full F-35 modifications despite hosting the first F-35C carrier landing.

— Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Be vigilant about never leaving young children and pets in vehicles without supervision, especially during periods of intense heat, as car interiors can quickly become extremely hot.

— NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026

Definition of never

Adverb

On one hand, England fans are swigging beer in the sun with a familiar slightly nervous look on their face as the pressure is now on their team to deliver.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 July 2026
Generally, rents have seen modest increases in coastal areas, while slightly declining in inland communities, though there are exceptions.

— Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026

Definition of slightly

Browse Nearby Words

hard-luck

hardly

hardness

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“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of hardly

adverb

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