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
Though unruly passenger incidents, and airlines executives’ complaints, are hardly contained to one side of the Atlantic.
—
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 May 2026
And the Marlins are hardly the first team to put stock in the third-time-through-the-order dynamic.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Throughout the next year, Chambers hardly worked.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Whereas electric stovetops lose energy from the transmission from the burner to the cookware, induction stovetops hardly waste energy.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 May 2026
And the Marlins are hardly the first team to put stock in the third-time-through-the-order dynamic.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Throughout the next year, Chambers hardly worked.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Whereas electric stovetops lose energy from the transmission from the burner to the cookware, induction stovetops hardly waste energy.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
Overuse of ice melt products can severely stress and kill pachysandra growing along the side of a walk.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Online adult platforms are being severely restricted these days as new laws banning materials involving adults pretending to be under 18 are put into place.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 May 2026
Adverb
-
Gray and Richardson are both no longer a part of the Rams’ basketball program.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Simmons is right that the glasses are super-thin, which gives them a delightful hand feel no matter the beverage.—
Jennifer Zyman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Donations to the wealthiest colleges barely register.—
Ed Smith-Lewis,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
Concern for the rights of Black voters barely broke to the surface of Alito’s opinion.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
In a state where the most recent men’s pro sports title was celebrated in 1991, seeing die-hard fans in tears is sadly not uncommon.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
1 May 2026
-
New subscribers will receive a unique promo code in a text message that can be used on purchases on the website or the app (not in-person, sadly).—
Hannah Chubb,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
For most of the nation’s history, the former Confederate states have worked hard to minimize the political influence of Black residents in particular.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
Joyce, the Angels’ hard-throwing reliever, is the one whose return is most eagerly awaited by fans.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
After Talley’s initial court hearing Monday, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza were among several officials who harshly criticized the passage of the SAFE-T Act and Lyke’s decision to grant Talley pretrial release.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Again, Gulutzan was reluctant to criticize his team too harshly given how close the series has been.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Musk fires back at OpenAI attorney watch now Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
Though Baudelaire was influenced by Poe’s macabre imagination, decadence never developed its own school in nineteenth-century America, then still a young country.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Adverb
-
Winds on Sunday will be slightly stronger, as well.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
Each bag is slightly different, all of them built to last, and the result is a bag equally at home on a boat, a beach, or a farmers’ market.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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