HARSHLY Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

harshly

adverb

Definition of harshly

as in severely

in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering treated the prisoners harshly, and many died

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 harshly 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 Hair in Sports Women are often judged more harshly than male counterparts in many aspects of life, but this is especially true in sports. — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026 But their complaints come as Lecornu's government seeks to rein in public spending to appease skittish bond markets, which have punished France more harshly than many of its peers this year, amid a global bond market rout. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 His government has also been harshly criticized for a migration crisis in Ceuta. — Joseph Wilson, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026 Some are condemned swiftly and harshly, others are shrugged off almost entirely. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Meta has been judged harshly for spending billions of dollars on AI without becoming a leader in the technology, so Muse’s popularity surprised some, according to Jefferies senior analyst Brent Thill. — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 Johnson has harshly criticized Villegas’ ordinance, a sign the mayor is likely to veto the measure if a compromise is not reached. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshly

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

The summer had seen Europe endure an oppressively dry, hot summer, which had seen wildfires spring up across the continent.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
After a bit of a reprieve from an oppressively hot summer, another heat wave is set to scorch Southern California this week.

— Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of oppressively

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

Browse Nearby Words

harshens

harshly

harshness

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Style

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

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Synonyms of harshly

adverb

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