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
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
-
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
-
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
Adverb
-
Built from the Ground Up, With Love Just barely out of college, the founders of Walters Wedding Estates took an extraordinary leap of faith.—
Rhiannon Frater,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
-
Oil prices were barely higher, giving up an earlier jump following the attacks.—
Jacob Pramuk,
CNBC,
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
-
Versatile, hard working, dynamic and capable of playing in numerous roles.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
These people work hard and are in no way asking for handouts, but also often cannot afford the high prices of private insurance, which will be driven up further by cuts.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2025
Adverb
-
The two cases are not identical, as there is no dispute that Drogheda and Silkeborg are controlled by the same owner, whereas Textor has never had that much sway at Palace, but Trivela’s travails demonstrate that UEFA is getting increasingly strict with MCO groups.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
Buyers pay for their order, only for their order to never arrive.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2025
Adverb
-
Tyrone Taylor hit a one-out single off Strider and stole second, and with two outs, Mauricio sent him home for just his third RBI of the season.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2025
-
Gener struck out 75 batters in 58 innings while walking just 14.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 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 3 Jul. 2025.
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