Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for hardly.
Definitions

hardly

[hahrd-lee] / ˈhɑrd li /
ADVERB
scarcely; with difficulty
Synonyms
STRONGEST
barely comparatively practically rarely seldom simply somewhat
STRONG
just
WEAK
almost inconceivably almost not by a hair by no means detectably faintly gradually imperceptibly infrequently little no more than no way not a bit not at all not by much not likely not markedly not measurably not much not notably not noticeably not often not quite once in a blue moon only only just perceptibly pretty near scantly slightly sparsely sporadically with trouble
Antonyms
STRONGEST
frequently
WEAK
very

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Though its smell is hardly appetizing, the cloth is surrounded by a group of women, each with her hands on the folds to knead, slap, punch and beat the cloth into shape.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

It’s hardly a far stretch to suggest that global warming is implicated in decreasing sperm count.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

Pfeiffer: But we hardly ever see the baby.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

In the world of quantum computing, five years hardly seems like enough time to address the hurdles impeding the development of scalable, practically useful systems.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The poor old fellow was so jealous of the little mare he could hardly stand it.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Vocabulary lists containing hardly

"The Giving Tree"

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!