Phrase guide

hard done by

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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Pronunciation

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adj

Meaning 1

used, cheated, or exploited by

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, idiomatic

Examples

King should feel a bit hard done by after being replaced in the team.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Word forms

Inflections and variants

more hard done by — comparative
most hard done by — superlative

Word family

Derived and related words

Derived: none provided

Related: none provided

Semantic map

Other relationships

Sources

Where this information comes from

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