HURTFULLY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

hurtfully

adverb

as in cruelly

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtfully

Adverb

And, if Barisone was psychotically deluded, how was the jury meant to understand the defense’s central framing, which was that Kanarek had cruelly tried to harm Barisone?

— Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Hansen can be cruelly mocking towards his oft-flustered but extremely professional producer Andie Bender (an astonishingly good Merritt Wever).

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruelly

Adverb

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

Definition of harshly

Adverb

The attacks and the air raid alerts that accompany them have severely disrupted life in the city, forcing millions to constantly seek shelter and paralyzing the capital’s businesses and transport networks.

— Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
While much of the AI safety debate has centered on losing control of AI, Altman said restricting access to AI too severely in the name of safety could be harmful too.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of severely

Adverb

Shortly before Jackie took ill, the chicks — Sandy and Luna —successfully fledged.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Decades of outsourcing have left American manufacturers ill-equipped to meet demand, leading to higher costs and longer wait times for companies, universities and consumers that require both cutting-edge and everyday electronics.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of ill

Adverb

Global hospitality business Hilton is acutely aware of these concerns.

— Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
However, sharply rising diesel prices hit far more acutely and quickly in industries such as mining, quarrying and cement mixing, as well as other materials that are key in construction.

— Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of acutely

Adverb

The comparisons between that movie and Elsinore, what with all the Hamlet being performed and poignantly referring back to our characters’ circumstances, have been impossible to ignore.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
That’s a process that can help clarify thoughts, but knowing that no one was behind the dialogue, that the empathy was a technique and not a presence, left me with a sense of being poignantly unheard.

— Steven Barrie-Anthony, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of poignantly

Adverb

As money hijacks morality and democracy begins to look like a hoax, Tresnjak’s Broadway-caliber staging contrasts garish spectacle with piercingly intimate scenes between Claire and Anton.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Chef Steven Pham is still simmering his signature Northern Vietnamese-style pho ga, which features a soul-piercingly clear broth, tender poached chicken, rice noodles, and a floating raft of fresh herbs.

— Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026

Definition of piercingly

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hurtful

hurtfully

hurting

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“Hurtfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtfully. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hurtfully

adverb

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