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
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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
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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
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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
And Jason Adam’s fastball, hardly a slowpoke, paces at 94.5 mph.
—
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement The dark cloud of COVID-19, one of the deadliest infectious disease outbreaks in history, can hardly be thought of as having a silver lining.
—Simon Williams, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Handling response to driver input was nonexistent, but was hardly the point.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2025
The wreckage of grief and loss all the characters have been mired in is hardly swept away.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement The dark cloud of COVID-19, one of the deadliest infectious disease outbreaks in history, can hardly be thought of as having a silver lining.
—Simon Williams, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Handling response to driver input was nonexistent, but was hardly the point.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2025
The wreckage of grief and loss all the characters have been mired in is hardly swept away.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
There’s something so satisfying about luggage that looks new no matter how many places around the world it’s been with me.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Other governments may at first strive to maintain the old order, no matter what the United States and China do, well aware that an abandonment of the system altogether would mean a return to a beggar-thy-neighbor world.—
Michael B. G. Froman,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
They’re caught up in their own bubble barely registering your existence.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The Crocs Baya Platform Sandals are available in three colors: black, white, and barely pink.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
In the absence of moonlight, a single observer might see 45 to 90 meteors per hour on the peak night, a number that sadly cannot be hoped to be approached in 2025.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Now, perhaps sadly, the site may make more financial sense as just another high-rise mixed-use project with a big-box anchor retail tenant.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
However, Nvidia’s entrenched position - bolstered by its proprietary CUDA software ecosystem - makes customer switching harder and limits AMD’s upside.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The heart must work harder to pump the thick blood, which may increase blood pressure.—
Ayesha Gulzar,
Verywell Health,
7 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
The federal government has never before used the census to directly ask for the citizenship status of every person living in every household in the United States.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
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That's huge for schools, researchers, and developers who've never had access to this kind of tech at this kind of price.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
She will be joined by Gabrielle Hardie, who finished just behind her at the Pan American Games.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Picking out an outfit for your Saturday night out just got less complicated!—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
6 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Standing in the dock, wearing jeans and trainers, he could be seen listening intently as the case against him was set out and filling several pages of an A4 book with notes.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
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At the July 22 Village Board meeting, village trustees listened intently to a presentation about e-bikes, their historical use in the village, gaining popularity, at least one resident’s concerns about them and more.—
Alan Kozeluh,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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