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
Relaxing with other The White Lotus cast members in the upper rafters of Phuket’s Bangla Muay Thai Stadium, the 35-year-old former nightclub bouncer, soldier, and talent show contestant can hardly believe his luck.
—
Charlie Campbell / Phuket, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Risks and Precautions Laparoscopy for endometriosis is generally safe, hardly causing serious problems.
—Joy Emeh, Health, 15 Feb. 2025
During the court proceedings, RZA, 2½, and Riot, 18 months, were well behaved and hardly made any noise.
—Daniela Avila, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Intensively used hoes hardly lasted longer than a year, so demand kept increasing.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hardly 
Charlie Campbell / Phuket, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Risks and Precautions Laparoscopy for endometriosis is generally safe, hardly causing serious problems.
—Joy Emeh, Health, 15 Feb. 2025
During the court proceedings, RZA, 2½, and Riot, 18 months, were well behaved and hardly made any noise.
—Daniela Avila, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Intensively used hoes hardly lasted longer than a year, so demand kept increasing.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
Forecasts have to take the changing climate into account to be accurate, no matter who is creating the forecast.—
Christine Wiedinmyer,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Just more proof that serious collectors will make a run at their dream cars no matter what the financial climate may be like.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
11 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
Ford barely gave congressional leaders a heads-up, and none of them could quite grasp his reasons for haste.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Meanwhile, negotiations for the second and third phases have barely started.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
And sadly Harper and Will are at the SNL 50th [anniversary concert] that night.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Feb. 2025
-
This is sadly the case for actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who was one of many displaced from her home with her husband Brian Hallisay and their three children earlier this year.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
Add ice, seal tins and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2025
-
For now, most Americans still enjoy unusual job security, but for those looking for work, the job hunt has been getting harder compared with the red-hot hiring days of 2021-2023.—
COMPILED BYDEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFFFROM WIRE REPORTS,
arkansasonline.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
The offer was never fulfilled, though the conversation has resurfaced in many forms in the decades since, including in Lamar's home state.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Anything is possible, and the journey is never over.—
Stacey Wilson Hunt,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
Freshman Allie Ziebell also hit just the fifth 3-pointer of the game for UConn off the bench.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2025
-
The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. as the Senate was poised to discuss its final appropriation bills for the day, according to Mississippi Today.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
The king stares intently into an eternal distance through composite orbs fashioned from alabaster and glass, rendered in varying degrees of clarity, transparency and opacity.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Clad in a menswear-style white shirt and necktie, Rihanna followed the morning session intently.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hardly
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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