HARDLY Synonyms: 281 Similar and Opposite Words

hardly

adverb

ˈhärd-lē

Definition of hardly

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

as in no

certainly not I would hardly think someone with her attitude could make a good manager

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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 Carroll had a pedestrian showing in its scrimmage against Aledo, but the cupboard on offense is hardly bare with receivers Blake Gunter (55 receptions-1,224 yards-18 TDs), Brody Knowles (40-849-7) and Dez Bryant, Jr. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Dolly was thunderstruck but hardly resigned to life as a has-been. — Martha Ackmann, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 This is hardly an original trope in politicians’ memoirs, but Cox seems to come by his boosterism honestly. — Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 But, nationally, the share of kindergarteners who received vaccine exemptions has risen less than one per cent since Kennedy took office, and the measles-vaccination rate has hardly budged. — Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly

Adverb

But several of those affiliates have severely curtailed their operations since the federal funding was paused.

— CBS News, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Prior to those deaths, the US had not seen a measles death since 2015, when a woman with underlying conditions became severely ill.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of severely

Adverb

By North Carolina’s historical standards, the answer should be no, but the bar has been lowered so much that a trip to a bottom-tier bowl feels like a victory.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Cole rummaged through an archival box and pulled out a notebook that was no bigger than a business card.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of no

Adverb

Some come so quickly that there’s barely time to process how they were accomplished.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Azurá Stevens, the franchise’s marquee signing worth just over $1 million a year, barely cracked a 10-point average while missing nearly a quarter of the season due to injuries and personal concerns.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of barely

Adverb

Curry is largely there for comic relief, swanning in with a bevy of beauties, challenging Bosley (Bill Murray) to a sumo match, and, sadly, getting murdered by the pool, thus depriving us of Curry’s magnetic presence for the rest of the film.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
The suite is named The Endeavour, after the airplane of a former owner’s daughter, aviatrix Elsie Mackay, who attempted to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic a year after Charles Lindbergh and sadly disappeared somewhere along the way.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of sadly

Adverb

And violations of public trust are typically judged quite harshly.

— Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Tariff Refunds Spark Political Debate Democratic lawmakers have harshly criticized corporations receiving millions in tariff refunds without passing those benefits on to consumers.

— Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of harshly

Adverb

This pick has a slightly boxy cut and just-so crop, which feels modern without requiring you to flash your belly button to the masses.

— Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026
Everyone in Los Angeles apologized to me about the weather, which was warm, breezy, and ever so slightly overcast—in short, perfect.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of slightly

Browse Nearby Words

hard-luck

hardly

hardness

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“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hardly

adverb

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