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
That hardly sounds like an imminent threat.
—
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
Bad Bunny’s adoration for Chile is hardly new.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
There were hardly any supportive comments in the document.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
In neighborhoods with new construction, the topsoil is stripped away, and the rubble left behind hardly qualifies as soil.
—Jamie McIntosh, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
Bad Bunny’s adoration for Chile is hardly new.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
There were hardly any supportive comments in the document.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
In neighborhoods with new construction, the topsoil is stripped away, and the rubble left behind hardly qualifies as soil.
—Jamie McIntosh, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
Mahan clarified that severely treatment-resistant homeless people would receive help in a medical setting.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Placing the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts severely handcuffs what the Falcons can do this offseason.—
Omar Kelly
March 8,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Senate seat Tillis’ past two election cycles have broken fundraising records, and this is expected to be no different, even without him in the race.—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Bruins increased their advantage to 18 points on Dailey’s dunk less than five minutes into the second half and the visitors got no closer than nine the rest of the way.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In astronauts who spent about a year aboard the International Space Station, some areas near the top of the brain moved upward by more than 2 millimeters, while the rest of the brain barely moved.—
Rachael Seidler,
Space.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Then use a microfiber cloth barely dampened with water to wipe the fixture clean, making sure to get into any grooves and crevices.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Western civilization has created incredible innovation and achievements, while sadly slavery and colonialism will always be a part of history.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Short term, the answer is, sadly, yes.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Dallas Lincoln's Jada Patterson (24) drives hard to the basket during first quarter action against Fredericksburg.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Sustaining success is assuredly much harder.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
But the Bar still intends to ask the court to punish Uhlfelder much more harshly.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
-
That proposal had been praised by some neighborhood leaders who often oppose high-rise housing in or near single-family areas, but it was harshly criticized by leaders of the development and business community.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Casap may never change after ‘horrific’ crimes First-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Staffers—from front desk employees to valet—never missed a beat and were full of helpful information both about the hotel, its offerings, and the surrounding area.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Embrace the slightly dystopian vibe and buy a bag of pellets from one of the old-timey pioneer stores to hand-feed the furry descendants.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
By combining strontium doping and oxygen tuning, the team produced many slightly different versions of the material.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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