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Showing results for hardly ever. Search instead for Hardly+Ever.
Definitions

hardly ever

ADVERB
infrequently
Synonyms
STRONGEST
intermittently now and then occasionally rarely sparingly sporadically
WEAK
not regularly scarcely uncommonly unusually
Antonyms
STRONGEST
frequently regularly
ADVERB
little
Synonyms
STRONGEST
a little barely hardly rarely seldom
WEAK
not many not often not quite only just scarcely somewhat
Antonyms
STRONGEST
frequently
WEAK
more much
ADVERB
rarely
Synonyms
STRONGEST
barely hardly infrequently seldom
WEAK
almost never extra extraordinarily extremely finely little notably now and then on rare occasions once in a while once in blue moon remarkably scarcely ever singularly uncommon uncommonly unfrequently unoften unusually
Antonyms
WEAK
frequently regularly
ADVERB
seldom
Synonyms
STRONGEST
a few times hardly occasionally rarely scarcely sometimes sporadically
WEAK
every now and then from time to time in a few cases inhabitually irregularly little not often not very often on and off once in a blue moon once in a while scarcely ever semioccasionally uncommonly unoften unusually whimsically
Antonyms
STRONGEST
frequently regularly
WEAK
often usually
ADVERB
sporadically
Synonyms
STRONGEST
intermittently now and then occasionally rarely seldom sparingly
WEAK
hardly little not regularly once in a blue moon scarcely uncommonly unusually
Antonyms
STRONGEST
frequently regularly usually
ADVERB
uncommonly
Synonyms
STRONGEST
exceptionally extremely remarkably strangely unusually
WEAK
extra in few instances irregularly not often now and then occasionally oddly on occasion particularly peculiarly rarely scarcely ever seldom sporadically very
Antonyms
STRONGEST
normally usually
WEAK
commonly frequently

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.

See Examples For:

I used to go out a lot but now I hardly ever go out because I'm scared what man is going to approach me next.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Sentiment drops as big as these hardly ever happen: Since 2000, which is how far back the data extends, these drops are at the 1.5th and 0.9th percentiles, respectively.

From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026

Capybaras could attack if threatened, though they hardly ever do.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

Official documentation hardly ever matches the reality of how work is actually done.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

Everything looked like it was a hundred years old and hardly ever repaired.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

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