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
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.
Recent Examples of hardly
That’s hardly ancient history in a country about to celebrate its 250th birthday.
—
Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Inés has been raised in a world of strange ellipses, and hardly bats an eye when the hotel bartender goes quiet after someone mentions his missing brother, but Hanna (Maia Rae Domagala) is a different story.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
These tickets are purely General Admission, and attendees range from diehard racing fans who prefer to watch the action from the infield to young people who party all day and are hardly aware that there’s a race going on.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 13 May 2026
Morton could hardly run, his old teammates remember, when the veteran quarterback first walked into the Denver Broncos’ locker room in 1977.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Inés has been raised in a world of strange ellipses, and hardly bats an eye when the hotel bartender goes quiet after someone mentions his missing brother, but Hanna (Maia Rae Domagala) is a different story.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
These tickets are purely General Admission, and attendees range from diehard racing fans who prefer to watch the action from the infield to young people who party all day and are hardly aware that there’s a race going on.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 13 May 2026
Morton could hardly run, his old teammates remember, when the veteran quarterback first walked into the Denver Broncos’ locker room in 1977.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
Duren severely underperformed in the postseason after having a career year.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
And because harpies rely on large emergent trees for nesting and an extensive, continuous canopy for hunting, even partial deforestation will severely disrupt their ability to breed and forage.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
But no matter the prodding, Terminus never wanted the patrons to feel cheated, so the games, while tricky, were winnable, and the prizes reasonable and fair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Fox’s efforts to cater to a digitally savvy cohort to boost the fortunes of its news operations will no doubt be watched by other mainstream TV-news outlets.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Adverb
-
After being rejected by Palace, Semenyo spent the following year barely playing sport at all.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Misael eating meat alone, cutting up pieces with an enormous knife while barely lit by the flames in front of him, and, sporadically, almost-silent lightning bursts in the distant background.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Adverb
-
David Smith, one of the former owners, reports that despite its wild popularity, the original cake recipe sadly got lost.—
Nancy Vienneau,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
-
Hüller is having a hell of a year, winning the Silver Bear for her role as a woman passing herself off as a male soldier to claim an estate in Rose, and playing the wry, sadly pragmatic head of the international task force in Project Hail Mary, one of the biggest hits of the year.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
The right idea should expand your world without making your life harder to manage.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
Being shut out of public spaces and opportunities makes reintegration harder, not easier.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
Intense protests related to economic issues broke out in Iran in early 2026, but were harshly quelled.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
Later, people tell me that the police interrogated her like a potential suspect—not harshly, just because of standard procedure.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
Bain said her grandmother's small museum of antiques is free to enter, and the door is never locked.—
Chelsea Torres,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
There are three tostadas on the menu that never change.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Adverb
-
Yolo County’s homeless population declined slightly over the past two years, but nearly two-thirds of the people counted in January were living outdoors as county leaders considered millions of dollars in cuts to the services many rely on.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
-
Now, the qualifying procedure — which was already slightly altered from previous years — is getting altered again.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
