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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in no
certainly not
I would hardly think someone with her attitude could make a good manager
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3
as in barely
by a very small margin
we were hardly able to make it back to camp before darkness set in
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4
as in sadly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
his broker did not think that he would take his financial losses so hardly
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5
as in hard
with great effort or determination
the state championship was a hardly fought contest between two evenly matched teams
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardly
That’s hardly surprising, since the two scored 35 goals each last season to pace the club.
—
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Resembling nature but hardly natural, the wetlands are designed to replicate the filtering ability of the river of grass.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
There's no soy, and there's hardly any differentiation between different types of protein groups, like seafood.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 9 Jan. 2026
In their place were summer hits like F1 and Weapons … but also Bugonia, hardly anyone’s idea of a commercial juggernaut.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
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In the ninth century, a severely disabled woman was buried, her feet bound, in an annex of the church in Elsau, outside Zürich.—
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The time is never right to severely chop off your crape myrtle.—
Adverb
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Throughout her legendary career, Oprah has remained relatable, and her skin care routine is no different.—
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Fake Plants Sure, live plants add vibrancy and life to a space, but faux plants (no matter how small or convincing) often just add plastic and dust.—
Adverb
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For families This is the rare wilderness lodge where kids aren't just tolerated—they're given the kind of freedom that barely exists anymore.—
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So far, that promise has barely materialized.—
Adverb
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This should be, but sadly will probably not be, the line that shouldn’t have been crossed.—
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Discovering the chemicals responsible for smoke taint is, sadly, only half the battle.—
Adverb
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Alexandria has been really hard hit, down 50% in that period.—
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For instance, walking most days is far better than exercising hard once a month.—
Adverb
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In a press conference later in the day, Mayor Frey, 44, harshly condemned the actions of ICE in his city and pushed back against the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) claims that the agent involved in the fatal shooting acted in self defense.—
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One of his non-Jewish primary opponents, Palm Coast City Council member Charles Gambaro, harshly criticized Fine’s Gaza remarks and declared that Gambaro, too, would seek AIPAC’s endorsement.—
Adverb
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The boy jerks his head as if to wake himself, turns around abruptly and looks the other way, even though there’s nothing special to see besides darkness and emptiness, which is where a living eye should never look.—
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There are other Washburn regulars here too, like the excellent actors Bruce McKenzie and Jeff Biehl, but despite all their long acquaintance, something about the project never quite comes into focus.—
Adverb
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One slightly wrong rate in a budget, procurement forecast, or loan estimate easily moves millions of dollars in the wrong direction.—
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Pale pink flower clusters that appear on the light green foliage in summer, slightly earlier than other sedum varieties.—
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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