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
In the House' In the House starred LL Cool J, Debbie Allen, Maia Campbell, Jeffery Wood, Alfonso Ribeiro and Kim Wayans, and told the story of an ex-football player who had to learn to live with a divorced mother of two — despite hardly knowing each other and having little in common.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Plastic, that bane of California policymakers and activists, is hardly recycled.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
River compact noncompliance is hardly a moot point, as federal river flow forecasters have made clear that there is a significant risk that continued drought this winter or next could require a reduction in flows out of Lake Powell to protect Glen Canyon Dam and its hydropower production capacity.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 3 Feb. 2026
That was hardly the only notable trade Tuesday.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Plastic, that bane of California policymakers and activists, is hardly recycled.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
River compact noncompliance is hardly a moot point, as federal river flow forecasters have made clear that there is a significant risk that continued drought this winter or next could require a reduction in flows out of Lake Powell to protect Glen Canyon Dam and its hydropower production capacity.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 3 Feb. 2026
That was hardly the only notable trade Tuesday.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
Herb said the industry plans for an average winter, not a mild or a severely cold one.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Otherwise, utility crews will be forced to prune it severely for safety’s sake.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The right pair of boots can be the perfect finishing touch to any all-black outfit, no matter how simple or intricate.—
Shelby Comroe,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the plane donated by Qatar that the Air Force is refurbishing is expected to be ready for use as Air Force One no later than this summer.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Her neighbors live within easy walking distance but their homes are barely visible, one to the next, because of folds in the hills and the density of trees and cacti.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Most notable is the addition of an interchangeable dual-lace wrap, which sweeps from the barely there midsole and finishes with a bow atop the standard shoelaces.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The Super Bowl, sadly, was a snoozer.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
One man sadly watched the commemoration from a sidewalk in Tehran, not taking part.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
What has been hardest is seeing ordinary lives, families, young people, civilians slowly reduced to headlines or abstractions, rather than recognized as individuals living under immense and sustained pressure.—
Emily Chan,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Essentially, what seem like small tweaks have noticeable impacts on control when pushing the ski hard.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
But, after serving more than 30 years of a natural life sentence, Modrowski won back his freedom in summer 2024 when a judge ruled he had been too harshly punished and resentenced him to a 60-year term.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Recent changes narrowing the kinds of tasks agencies can perform when funding lapses also mean that shutdowns have the potential to hit a larger number of Americans more harshly than before, Abigail André, the executive director of the Impact Project, told me.—
Toluse Olorunnipa,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
His family might never know all the details, but Bouzid gives the audience tangible knowledge of his passions and misgivings, accomplishing that by observing the five female characters in his orbit, and so the mystery of all their lives is fully revealed.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Although the designer has never been on skis, that didn’t stop him from basing his fall collection on fashions near the slopes.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Once this economic leveling is accomplished, homestead exemptions can be reduced slightly.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Hudsonian whimbrels, to be exact, shorebirds about the size of crows with long, thin, slightly curved beaks.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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