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
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
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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
But lawyers can hardly be unaware of the pitfalls for their own profession in failing to monitor bots’ outputs.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Western Conference Finals betting underdog Minnesota hardly looked overmatched vs. NBA Finals favorite Oklahoma City early in Game 1.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Of course, Machado is hardly the only player not hitting during a losing streak that has dropped the Padres (27-19) to third in the NL West:
OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2025
The 50 Year Argument investigated the influence of The New York Review of Books, an important but hardly top-selling journal of essays and criticism.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Western Conference Finals betting underdog Minnesota hardly looked overmatched vs. NBA Finals favorite Oklahoma City early in Game 1.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Of course, Machado is hardly the only player not hitting during a losing streak that has dropped the Padres (27-19) to third in the NL West:
OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2025
The 50 Year Argument investigated the influence of The New York Review of Books, an important but hardly top-selling journal of essays and criticism.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly
Adverb
-
Whoever comes in, always has to, no matter what, deal with this competition: any player, in any position, has to deal with that.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
-
Most single attraction purchases are no more than $13 and children under 3 play free mini golf with the purchase of an adult ticket.—
Maddie Carr,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2025
Adverb
-
His penalty, barely three minutes earlier, led to a Roope Hintz power-play goal that narrowed Edmonton’s lead to 3-2, but then Ekholm blocked a shot from Thomas Harley at the right faceoff dot.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
The Dalmatian was discovered in dire condition by officials for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with barely any light left in her eyes, the shelter said.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
Adverb
-
The leadership toxicity is sadly nothing new, though there’s one point in here about Bungie allegedly buying pricey penthouses for some higher tiers of management.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
His gay life, sadly, is mostly a source of early misery and bitter feeling—a reminder of how recently, and how blessedly, homosexuality has been normalized.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Adverb
-
The second-term Republican president's remarks contrasted with his other more-combative public comments from throughout the long holiday weekend, including an all-caps message sent just hours earlier that swung hard at his political opponents and federal judges.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
-
Fashion aside, the culture has given Loc a sense of belonging, and motivation to work harder at his craft.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Adverb
-
The charges never went to trial because of Lorch’s ill health before his death.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 May 2025
-
The return to sustained relevancy –- something that seemed next-to-impossible for over two decades –- is new for younger fans who never saw the beloved ’90s90’s teams.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Adverb
-
Every department, every person in the show, every actor is just bringing it to the very last take to the very last minute.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
-
Solid port selection, including USB-C, is just the icing on the cake.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 May 2025
Adverb
-
Elon Musk, who has repeatedly posted on his social media platform, X, false claims of genocide against white South Africans, was standing on the side of the room and watched the video intently.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
22 May 2025
-
LeBron James was one of the many who were watching this series very intently.—
Ryan Stano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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