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 For 15 years multiple rounds of quantitative easing kept yields suppressed below 3% and often even close to zero, returns which are hardly competitive with stocks. — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Yet a portrait of a midwestern couple is hardly a promising candidate for global fame. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Hampton Island, Georgia Affleck’s Georgia estate is hardly a standard holiday house and more like a secluded coastal compound. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026 The company’s future guidance was so much bigger than expected that Stifel analyst Jonathan Siegmann could hardly believe it. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardly

Adverb

Fetal personhood would also likely eliminate, or at a minimum severely restrict, people who seek to start a family using surrogacy and in vitro fertilization.

— Jim Defede, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Torosian had told the prosecutor’s office that an undernourished, severely disabled girl who was receiving treatment at BioMed was subsisting entirely on spinach—on Kotthaus’s orders.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of severely

Adverb

Arianespace has announced that the next Ariane 6 launch will take place no earlier than November 23, marking the rocket’s return to flight after ground testing reportedly revealed an issue with one of its turbopumps, European Spaceflight reports.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
To hear Kenneth Walker tell it, the leadup to Sunday’s showdown in Week 7 of the NFL season feels no different from the Chiefs’ previous one, or the one before that.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of no

Adverb

But behind that number is a battlefield engagement, a target barely visible across the landscape, and a shot whose details may remain classified or disputed for years.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Season 2 picks up from where things left off, with Michael and Diana having barely arrived in Spain when they are dragged back into the fold to answer questions around Ricardo’s death.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of barely

Adverb

Political and legal debates date back to ancient Rome and have been a key part of our nation, beginning with Lincoln-Douglas, yet experts say, sadly, are no longer perceived as necessary.

— Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
There is of course another way to hear ABBA songs sung live onstage, though sadly without Greek island backdrops or background singers wearing floppy swim fins.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadly

Adverb

With nearly 60 murders per day, South Africa has one of the world's highest crime rates, and several of Cape Town's townships are among the areas hardest hit by violent crime.

— Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Eisenkot believes Netanyahu has purposefully made that process harder.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of hard

Adverb

That decision by the president was praised by Putin but criticized harshly by members of Congress, including some Republicans.

— Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of harshly

Adverb

Lam Research, whose equipment and services help make semiconductors, reported gains in profit and revenue for the summer that were slightly stronger than analysts expected, for example.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Step 2 Whisk 2 large eggs, room temperature, ¼ cup half-and-half, ¼ cup (packed; 50 g) dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, and 2 tsp.

— Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of slightly

Browse Nearby Words

hard-luck

hardly

hardness

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Style

“Hardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardly. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hardly

adverb

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