hurtfully

adverb

as in cruelly

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtfully
  1. cruelly
  2. harshly
  3. sharply
  4. severely
  5. ill
  6. acutely
  7. poignantly
  8. piercingly
Adverb
  • The practice was criticized by advocates and others as cruelly targeting rule followers as low-hanging fruit to meet quotas.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
  • In the movie, Calypso is portrayed less cruelly, and is depicted as being in love with Odysseus.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of cruelly
Adverb
  • An otherwise magical season for the New England Patriots ended rather harshly in Super Bowl LX.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 9 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • After the Women’s Health Initiative published its landmark findings in 2002, public and clinical attitudes toward hormone therapy shifted sharply, priming a generation of women to look for non-hormonal alternatives.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • Both states sharply limit non-competes, and California bans most outright.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of sharply
Adverb
  • In the following days, Beretti’s right knee swelled severely, according to her health department complaint.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • With employees bombarded by hundreds of daily notifications and attention spans shrinking to mere seconds, true productivity and complex decision-making are severely hampered.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • In recent years, defense officials have increasingly studied how to harden bases against drone attacks, recognizing that infrastructure built for earlier conflicts is often ill-suited to withstand modern threats.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 21 July 2026
  • But as yesterday’s race showed, the current F1 machinery is utterly ill-suited to this dramatic venue.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
Definition of ill
Adverb
  • Trump is acutely focused on perfecting his personal environment, whether that’s in Washington, DC, or on the presidential plane that flies him around the world.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
  • However much any of us care, nobody feels failure and disappointment more acutely than those at the centre of it.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of acutely
Adverb
  • The reunion, poignantly, took place at Charles’s country home, Highgrove House, where Harry spent much of his childhood.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 16 July 2026
  • As Ethan, Stock was as perversely alienating as he was poignantly alienated.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of poignantly
Adverb
  • Chef Steven Pham is still simmering his signature Northern Vietnamese-style pho ga, which features a soul-piercingly clear broth, tender poached chicken, rice noodles, and a floating raft of fresh herbs.
    — Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026
  • The Towode Door Stop Alarm is a budget-friendly, highly effective safety tool that functions as a wedge door stop and a piercingly loud alarm when activated.
    — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
Definition of piercingly
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.

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hurtful
hurtfully
hurting
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Cite this Entry

“Hurtfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtfully. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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