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
Jisoo’s acceptance speech at Canneseries’ opening ceremony was repeatedly interrupted by fans yelling her name, hardly believing their luck to be in the same theater.
—
Marta Balaga, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Since making a splashdown near California, the three Americans and one Canadian selected for NASA's landmark Artemis II mission have hardly been idle.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
For all the coverage of the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal, hardly anyone has discussed the possible implications on the football field.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
At the age of 33, Alisson is hardly a veteran in goalkeeping terms.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Marta Balaga, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Since making a splashdown near California, the three Americans and one Canadian selected for NASA's landmark Artemis II mission have hardly been idle.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
For all the coverage of the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal, hardly anyone has discussed the possible implications on the football field.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
At the age of 33, Alisson is hardly a veteran in goalkeeping terms.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
Such cuts would defund Florida Forever, severely limiting the state’s ability to protect priority conservation lands and undermining administrative and staffing capacity.—
Susan Carr,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Others have been severely neglected or abused or left stranded following their owner’s death.—
Eric Adler
April 26,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 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
-
Behind the table was an orchestra, barely playing loud enough to hear.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
For Minter and DeCosta, the heavy lifting has barely started.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
If the Premier League’s bottom club hoped to draw a symbolic line under their season from hell with the confirmation of relegation from the Premier League, they were left sadly disappointed by events at Molineux in the first game since their fate was sealed.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Stage star Kelli Barrett, as Bertie, is given far less to work with, sadly.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Aerate compacted and hard-to-wet lawns.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
King Charles' younger sister is known for her tireless drive for royal duty, often ranked among the royal family's hardest-working members by count of official engagements recorded in The Court Circular.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 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
-
The Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, allowed two goals in the first period and never fully recovered in a 5-1 loss to the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday, as San Jose was swept in the best-of-three first-round series two games to none at Lee’s Family Forum.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But just never lose confidence in yourself.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Think of him as a slightly bigger version of Darren Sproles.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This act of contrition is legible in East Asia, but slightly awkward when performed by Western actors.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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