单词	hard
释义	hard1 adjectivehard2 adverb hardhard1 /hɑːd $ hɑːrd/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative harder, superlative hardest) Entry menu MENU FOR hardhard1 firm to touch2 difficult3 work/effort4 full of problems5 be hard on somebody6 be hard on something7 do something the hard way8 using force9 hard evidence/facts/information etc10 unkind11 hard going12 make hard work of something13 be hard at it/work14 water15 hard luck16 give somebody a hard time17 have a hard time18 drive/strike a hard bargain19 hard feelings20 take a (long) hard look at something/somebody21 hard line22 hard news23 not frightened24 (as) hard as nails25 a hard taskmaster/master26 a hard winter/frost27 the hard left/right28 light29 alcohol30 a hard left/right31 pronunciation Word Origin WORD ORIGINhard1 Origin: Old English heard Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES a hard mattress a piece of hard candy A tiled floor in the kitchen is as hard as stone, and very cold beneath your feet. As people age, their skin becomes harder and less supple. Chemistry was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken. Diamond is probably the hardest substance known to man. Give the door a hard push. He's a hard man to work for, but he's fair. I've cooked the potatoes for half an hour but they still seem a bit hard. I find it hard to believe that he didn't know the gun was loaded. I thought the exam was really hard. I wish this chair wasn't so hard and uncomfortable. It's hard to see the stage from here. It's not my fault, John. Don't give me a hard time. It was hard for me to understand her - her accent was very strong. It was a long hard walk back to the nearest town. Keep the cake in a tin, to prevent it from going hard. Let your mother sit down. She's had a hard day at work. Mowing the lawn is hard work. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS A hard disk is usually built into the computer and is a slightly different form of storage. But the Clinton administration is still taking a hard line. Instead it meant hard work with a capital H for all the fifteen or so staff. Some hard cheeses are permitted to age. The slickest feature of all is the fully poweroperated hard top. Toilet roll, used, in small smelly brown-streaked sheets - both the hard kind and the soft kind. Yes, exhibitions are hard work! Thesaurus THESAURUS► hard difficult to press down, break, or cut, and not at all soft: · I fell onto the hard stone floor.· The clay gets harder as it dries. ► firm not completely hard, but not easy to press or bend – used especially when this seems a good thing: · I like to sleep on a firm mattress.· exercises to make your stomach muscles nice and firm· The pears were firm and juicy. ► stiff difficult to bend and not changing shape: · a piece of stiff cardboard· The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable. ► solid made of a thick hard material and not hollow: · a solid oak door· The floor felt strong and solid beneath her feet. ► rigid having a structure that is made of a material that is difficult or impossible to bend: · The tent is supported by a rigid frame.· Carry sandwiches in a rigid container. ► crisp/crispy used about food that is pleasantly hard, so that it makes a noise when you bite it – often used about things that have been cooked in thin slices until they are brown: · Bake the cookies until they are crisp and golden.· crispy bacon ► crunchy food that is crunchy makes a noise when you bite on it – often used about things that are fresh, for example fruit, vegetables, and nuts: · a crunchy breakfast cereal· The carrots were still nice and crunchy.· a crunchy salad· crunchy peanut butter ► tough meat that is tough is too hard and is difficult to cut or eat: · The meat was tough and flavourless. ► rubbery too hard and bending like rubber rather than breaking – used especially about meat: · The chicken was all rubbery. Longman Language Activatorwhen something does not change its shape or bend► hard · That night I had to sleep on a hard stone floor.· I wish this chair wasn't so hard and uncomfortable.· Diamond is probably the hardest substance known to man.· As people age, their skin becomes harder and less supple.rock- hard (=very hard) · After several weeks without rain, the ground was rock-hard.as hard as something · A tiled floor in the kitchen is as hard as stone, and very cold beneath your feet. ► solid something that is solid is made of thick hard material, is not hollow, and is difficult to damage or break: · The door was made of solid steel.· During winter the lake became a solid block of ice. ► firm something that is firm is not completely hard, but does not change shape much when you press it - use this about things that are sometimes soft, for example fruit, muscles, or the ground: · I find I sleep better on a firm mattress.· These exercises are good for making your stomach muscles nice and firm. ► stiff something that is stiff keeps its shape and is not easy to bend: · To make the picture, you will need a sheet of stiff card.· The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable.go stiff British: · The sheets outside on the washing line had gone stiff in the frost. ► rigid a material that is rigid is difficult or impossible to bend, and is often used to support something else: · The tent is made of strong canvas attached to a rigid frame.· Spoon the ice-cream into a rigid plastic container and freeze. food► hard food that is hard is difficult to bite through and not nice to eat: · I've cooked the potatoes for half an hour but they still seem a bit hard.· That candy was so hard I nearly broke a tooth.go hard: · Keep the cake in a tin, to prevent it from going hard. ► tough food, especially meat, that is tough is difficult to cut or eat, for example because it is too old or has been cooked for too long: · The chicken was very tough, as though it had not been freshly cooked that day.· You can throw away the tough outer leaves of the cabbage. ► crunchy food that is crunchy is firm and fresh, and makes a noise when you bite it: · Children love crunchy breakfast cereals and they're full of vitamins too.· For lunch I usually have something simple, with a fresh crunchy salad. ► crisp /crispy food, especially fruit or vegetables, that is crisp is firm and fresh, or has been cooked until it is quite hard and slightly brown: · a delicious crisp green apple· You can serve the chicken with a crispy stir fry of mixed vegetables.· Bake the pastry at 180 for about twenty minutes until crisp and golden. ► firm fruit or vegetables that are firm are not soft when you press them: · Buy peaches that are quite firm, as they ripen very quickly indoors.· For this recipe you will need six firm tomatoes. to become hard or make something hard► harden · The glue needs about 24 hours to harden.· Steel is hardened by heating it to a very high temperature.harden into/to · Much of the mountain consists of volcanic ash, long since hardened to jagged rock. ► solidify if a liquid such as melted metal or wax solidifies , it becomes hard: · Tools are made by pouring liquid metal into a mould and allowing it to cool and solidify.· As the lava flowed down the volcano it solidified, forming strange shapes. ► set if a liquid substance sets , it becomes harder - use this to talk about something that slowly becomes harder after it is mixed with water, for example, food or building materials: · Put the jelly in the fridge for an hour to set.· The concrete will take several hours to set, so make sure no one walks on it. ► freeze if a liquid freezes , it becomes hard because it has become very cold: · The water in the lake used to freeze most winters, and then it was good for skating.be frozen solid: · Hey! The milk's frozen solid! ► stiffen to make something stiffer and harder: · Point your toes and stiffen the muscles in your legs.· You can stiffen curtain fabric by using a special liquid solution. needing a lot of energy or physical effort► hard tiring and needing a lot of work, energy, or physical effort: · Let your mother sit down. She's had a hard day at work.· Their car broke down, and they were suddenly faced with a long hard walk back to the nearest town. ► strenuous needing a lot of physical effort: · The doctors advised against any strenuous activity for six weeks.· Last season his trainers put him through a strenuous running program. ► backbreaking/back-breaking backbreaking work, especially work that involves carrying and lifting heavy things, is extremely hard and needs a lot of physical effort: · After four hours of backbreaking work, we had finally pulled the wall down. ► gruelling British /grueling American something that is gruelling is extremely tiring because it continues for a long time and you have to use a lot of effort continuously: · The Le Mans 24-hour race is the most gruelling event in the motor-racing calendar.· Before they join the army, young recruits are put through a particularly grueling endurance course. ► arduous written work or a journey that is arduous is long and tiring and needs a lot of strength and effort: · In those days, long-distance travel was slow and arduous.· Today, Corbett will continue his arduous climb to the top of the park's highest peak. ► punishing extremely difficult in a way that damages or weakens something or makes someone feel very tired: · The transatlantic flight was a punishing task for the plane's old engines.· He set himself a punishing schedule of talks, lectures and conferences all over America. ► be murder spoken use this when something is extremely difficult and needs a lot of effort or skill: · Traveling five days a week is murder. I can't do it anymore.it is murder doing something: · It's murder trying to park in this town! ► be a slog British informal if something is a slog, it takes a lot of time and effort and is often boring: · He didn't become famous overnight -- it's been a long hard slog.· The first half of the book was quite interesting but the last part was a bit of a slog. difficult to do or understand► difficult · That's a good question, but it's a difficult one to answer.difficult for · The reading exercise was very difficult for most of the children.difficult to see/hear/describe etc · The insects are so small that they are difficult to see without using a microscope.it is difficult (for somebody) to do something · It's very difficult to find people who are willing to do the job.find it difficult to do something · Until now, patients often found it difficult to get information about their rights. make it difficult for somebody to do something · My mother's illness makes it difficult for her to walk. ► hard not easy to do or understand. Hard is less formal than difficult: · I thought the exam was really hard.· The hardest thing about moving to a new place was meeting new people.it is hard (for somebody) to do something: · It's hard to see the stage from here.· It was hard for me to understand her - her accent was very strong.find it hard to do something: · I find it hard to believe that he didn't know the gun was loaded. ► tough very difficult to do or deal with - use this about jobs, decisions, questions, or problems: · The judge asked the lawyers on both sides some very tough questions.· The governor is trying to show voters that he's able to deal with the toughest issues facing Ohio today. ► be a tall order spoken use this about something difficult you have been asked to do, especially when you do not think it is likely you will be able to do it: · "Can you finish the work by Friday?'' "Sounds like a tall order to me, but I'll see what I can do.'' ► easier said than done spoken use this to tell someone that something is much more difficult than they think it is: · Talking calmly to a screaming child sounds like a good idea, but any parent will tell you it's easier said than done. ► not the easiest : not the easiest...to do spoken use this to say that it is difficult to do something: · I'll drive you there -- it's not the easiest place to get to if you don't have a car.· I tried to explain it to him, but he's not the easiest person to talk to. ► not an easy.../be no easy... use this to say that something is difficult to do or make: · Finding a solution to the present crisis in the region is no easy task.not an easy task/job/decision: · The roads are often dangerous, and getting food to the villages has not been an easy task. ► a pain (in the neck) spoken something that is difficult and annoying to do or deal with: · It was a pain - I had to read more than 200 articles - but I learned a lot from it.· Getting across town at rush hour is a real pain in the neck. a time when you have a lot of problems► difficult/hard use this about a period of time when you have a lot of problems or a lot of bad things happen to you: · The last few months have been especially hard for her.· Those few days were so difficult that I decided to leave my job.· 1996 was perhaps the worst year the automobile industry has faced so far.have a difficult/hard time: · Most families have a very difficult time dealing with a family member's drug addiction. ► bad use this about a period of time when there are a lot of problems, especially when these are very serious: · It seemed that the bad years were finally behind me.(have a) bad time: · He had an especially bad time at boarding school. ► tough spoken use this about a situation or period of time when you have had a lot of problems or a lot of bad things have happened to you: · He's a good person to be with if ever you're in a tough situation.· Many of the veteran players had a tough time adjusting to the coach's style. easy to do, use, or understand► easy not difficult to do, use, or understand: · The questions were really easy.· It's an easy journey - we just drive to the station, then take the direct train to Paris.· Our new computer system should make the work a lot easier.easy to read/use/learn etc: · All the instructions are in large print to make them easy to read.it is easy to do something: · It is easy to see why she didn't marry him.easy for somebody to do something: · Was it easy for you to find a job?find something easy/find it easy to do something: · Susan's always found school work easy.· He doesn't find it easy to talk about his personal feelings. ► not difficult/hard easy not hard is more informal than not difficult: · "Did you make this pizza yourself?" "Yes, it's not difficult."it's not difficult to do something: · It's not difficult to see why she's unhappy all the time.· The reason for the problem is not hard to find. ► simple easy to understand or do because it is not complicated - use this about things like explanations or instructions, or about machines or systems: · She drew us a simple map so that we wouldn't get lost.· I like this recipe because it's so simple.be simple to use/make/prepare etc: · The new photocopier is much simpler to use than the one we had before. ► straightforward easy to understand and easy to do, so someone should not have any problems - use this especially about a method or process: · It is very straightforward - you just type the file name, then press 'Enter'.· There's a straightforward calculation for working out how much tax you have to pay. ► user-friendly spoken easy to use or understand - use this especially about computers or written information: · We are trying to develop software that is more user-friendly.· The booklet is intended to be a user-friendly guide to pension schemes. someone who cannot hear► deaf · Her second child, Oscar, was born deaf.· There is no reason why deaf people wouldn't lead perfectly normal lives.go deaf (=become deaf) · You'll need to speak quite loudly because my father's going deaf.the deaf (=deaf people) · More programmes these days have subtitles for the deaf.stone deaf/deaf as a post especially British (=completely deaf) · Mr Farrer, a white-haired man in his fifties, had been stone deaf since he was a child. ► be hard of hearing to be unable to hear well: · My grandfather's a little hard of hearing, so he has the TV on very loud.the hard of hearing (=people who are hard of hearing): · The library provides films with subtitles for the hard of hearing. ► hearing impaired not able to hear - use this especially about things that are provided especially for people who cannot hear. Hearing impaired is a more polite word than deaf: · Each lecture will be translated by the signer for the benefit of hearing impaired students.· special classes for hearing impaired children when people have very little money► poverty · Charles was shocked by the poverty he saw in India.· Poverty and unemployment are two of the biggest causes of crimedire/abject/grinding etc poverty (=extreme poverty) · Seven out of every 10 Guatemalans live in dire poverty and half cannot read or write.live/grow up/be raised etc in poverty · Old people should not have to live in poverty.the poverty line/level (=the income below which a person or family is officially considered to be very poor and in need of help) · In Louisiana, one person in four lives below the poverty level. ► hard times a period when life is difficult because you have little money - use this when you are comparing this to other, better, times: · There were hard times during my childhood when my parents didn't have work, but generally we were happy.fall on hard times (=begin to experience hard times): · Many of the girls were from middle class families who had fallen on hard times.· After the war my father fell on hard times and sank deeply into debt. to treat someone strictly► be hard on to treat someone very strictly and sometimes unfairly: · Sometimes I think you're too hard on that boy.· Don't be too hard on her. She didn't mean to break it. ► get tough with to begin to treat someone strictly because they have been doing something that is wrong or illegal: · At last the government is starting to get tough with dealers who sell dangerous second-hard cars.· Football clubs have been told that they must get tough with violent fans. ► stand/take no nonsense if you say that you stand or take no nonsense , you mean you treat other people strictly, but in a way that makes people respect you: · I won't stand any nonsense. I want you all in bed by nine o'clock.stand/take no nonsense from: · She was a very good teacher who would take no nonsense from her students. ► rule with a rod of iron to control an organization or group of people very strictly, by always punishing people if they do not obey you: · Their mother ruled their life with a rod of iron.· The Secret police ruled the city with a rod of iron. ► keep a tight rein on to strictly control someone's behaviour, for example by not allowing them to do things without asking your permission: · They keep a very tight rein on their children.· The government has promised to keep a tight rein on public spending. making you feel tired► tiring something that is tiring makes you feel tired: · The journey was really tiring.· Sam couldn't wait for the whole tiring ordeal to be over.a tiring day/week etc: · I've had such a tiring day. I just want to take a bath and go to bed. ► exhausting something that is exhausting makes you feel very weak and very tired: · She's just returned from another exhausting lecture tour.· I had to drive nine hours without a break - it was exhausting.· Starting a small business can be the most physically and mentally exhausting task you've ever done. ► hard a hard day, journey etc is one that makes you feel very tired because you have to work very hard , travel a long distance, or deal with a lot of problems: · Taking care of a two-year-old is hard work.· It was a long hard walk back to the nearest town.· When I come home from a hard day at work, I don't feel like talking to anyone. ► wearing a person, activity, or situation that is wearing is very tiring because it uses up a lot of your mental energy: · I find her constant questions and chatter rather wearing.· Kids of that age can be very wearing, can't they? treating someone unkindly► unkind someone who is unkind treats people in a way that makes them unhappy or upset: · Children can be very unkind.unkind to: · I felt very sorry for being unkind to her.it is unkind (of somebody) to do something: · It would be unkind to keep him in suspense for too long. ► mean someone who is mean deliberately speaks to someone unkindly or does things to annoy them or make them angry: · She hated him for being so mean. Why was he stopping her from seeing her friends?· I never thought he was capable of doing such a mean thing to his brother.mean to: · He was mean to those who worked for him and generous to those who he hardly knew.it is mean (of somebody) to do something: · It was mean of you to disturb her when she was having a rest. ► nasty someone who is nasty is deliberately unkind, and seems to enjoy making people unhappy: · When I was a child I did some nasty things to my little brother.· I don't mean to be nasty, but I don't think we should work together any more.nasty to: · Paul, you mustn't be nasty to the children. You'll make them cry. ► cruel someone who is cruel is very unkind, and does not seem to care about other people's feelings: · He didn't seem the sort of man to be cruel on purpose.cruel to: · She married a man who was very cruel to her.it is cruel (of somebody) to do something: · It was cruel of you to frighten the poor boy like that. ► spiteful deliberately unkind to someone because you are jealous of them or angry with them: · Failure had made him bitter and spiteful.· That was a wicked and spiteful thing to do. ► be hard on to be unkind to someone by criticizing them or treating them more severely than is fair: · He's only just started work here -- you mustn't be too hard on him.· I thought you were a little hard on Denise, not letting her go to the party. ► give somebody a hard time informal to be unkind to someone by criticizing them in a way that is not fair: · She left the company because her boss was giving her a really hard time.· Stop giving me such a hard time. I'm doing my best. ► take something out on to be unkind to someone because you are angry or upset about something else, even though it is not their fault: · I know you've had a bad day at the office, but don't take it out on me.· I'm sorry I was rotten to you, but there was no one else to take it out on. WORD SETS► Drug Culture acid, nounaddict, nounaddicted, adjectiveaddiction, nounaddictive, adjectiveamphetamine, nounbong, nouncannabis, nounclean, adjectivecocaine, nouncoke, nouncold turkey, nouncontrolled substance, nouncrack, nouncut, verbdeal, verbdealer, noundesigner drug, noundetox, noundetoxification, noundope, noundope, verbdopehead, noundowner, noundrug, noundrug addict, noundrug baron, noundrug czar, noundrug dealer, noundruggie, noundrug rehabilitation, noundrug runner, nounecstasy, nounfix, nounganja, noungear, nounglue-sniffing, noungrass, nounhallucinogen, nounhallucinogenic, adjectivehard, adjectivehard drugs, nounhash, nounhashish, nounhemp, nounheroin, nounhigh, adjectivehigh, nounhippie, nounhit, nounjoint, nounjunkie, nounline, nounLSD, nounmagic mushroom, nounmainline, verbmarijuana, nounmescaline, nounmethadone, nounmule, nounnarc, nounnarcotic, adjectiveneedle, nounOD, verbopiate, nounopium, nounoverdose, nounpeddler, nounpep pill, nounpot, nounpsychedelic, adjectivepush, verbpusher, nounrecovery program, nounreefer, nounrehab, nounroach, nounscore, verbshooting gallery, nounsmack, nounsmoke, nounsniff, verbsnort, verbsnort, nounsnow, nounsoft drug, nounsolvent abuse, nounspeed, nounstash, nounsteroid, nounstoned, adjectivestrung-out, adjectivesubstance abuse, nountab, nountake, verbtrafficking, nountrip, nountrip, verbuse, verbwasted, adjectiveweed, nounwithdrawal, nounwithdrawal symptoms, noun Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► it is hard to believe/imagine/see/know etc  It was hard to see what else we could have done. It’s hard to believe that anyone would say something like that. ► find it hard to do something  I was finding it hard to concentrate. ► hard to come by  Permanent jobs are hard to come by (=difficult to find or get). ► the hardest thing  Telling my parents is going to be the hardest thing about it. ► have a hard time doing something (=be difficult for someone to do something) You’ll have a hard time proving that. I had a hard time persuading him to accept the offer. ► hard to take  Such criticism was hard to take (=difficult to accept). ► hard work  To be successful in sport requires hard work and a great deal of determination. ► a hard day  After a hard day at work, I just want to come home and put my feet up. ► a hard day’s work/walking/skiing etc  There’s a sauna where you can relax after a hard day’s skiing. ► too much like hard work  Becoming a doctor never interested him. It was too much like hard work (=it would involve too much work). ► a hard life  She’s had a hard life. ► Times were hard  Times were hard and they were forced to sell their house. ► fallen on hard times  He had clearly fallen on hard times (=did not have much money). ► learned the hard way  He learned the hard way about the harsh reality of the boxing world. ► learned this lesson the hard way  Make sure you put the baby’s diaper on before you start feeding her. I learned this lesson the hard way. ► good hard  Jane gave the door a good hard push. ► have a hard time of it  Vegetarians still often have a hard time of it when it comes to eating out. ► take/adopt a hard line (on something)  The school takes a very hard line on drugs. ► hard man  Jones was known as soccer’s hard man. ► the hard stuff  I never touch the hard stuff (=strong alcohol). COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► hard bargaining  The 4% pay raise was the result of some hard bargaining. ► a tough/hard battle · He faces a tough battle to prove his innocence. ► be hard to bear · The situation was very hard to bear. ► bit ... hard  Nina pushed her fist into her mouth and bit down hard. ► blowing hard  A cold breeze was blowing hard. ► brake sharply/hard (=brake quickly) He braked sharply to avoid the dog. ► breathe heavily/hard (=breathe loudly especially after exercise)· He’d been running and he was breathing hard. ► a hard chair (=not comfortable)· I sat on a hard chair in the corridor and waited. ► hard cheese · Use a hard cheese such as Cheddar for grating. ► hard to come by  Jobs were hard to come by. ► come down hard on  We need to come down hard on young offenders. ► it is difficult/hard to cope · We were finding it difficult to cope financially. ► a hard/soft cover · I never buy books in hard cover – they’re much more expensive. ► cracking down hard  The police are cracking down hard on violent crime. ► difficult/hard/impossible etc to credit  We found his statement hard to credit. ► a hard/strong currency (=currency from a country with a strong economy)· They accept American dollars and other hard currencies. ► a hard day (=difficult and tiring)· Sit down – you look as though you’ve had a hard day. ► a difficult/hard/tough decision · In the end I took the difficult decision to retire early. ► hard/floppy/A etc drive ► hard drugs (also class A drugs British English) (=strong drugs such as heroin, cocaine etc)· He was in prison for dealing hard drugs. ► hard earth · It hadn’t rained for weeks and the earth was hard. ► hard evidence (=very clear evidence which proves that something is true)· They have no hard evidence to support their claim. ► it is difficult/hard/impossible to exaggerate something (=used to say that something cannot be made to seem more important etc than it already is)· It is difficult to exaggerate the strength of people’s feelings on this matter. ► hard/strenuous/vigorous exercise (=involving a lot of physical effort)· Pregnant women should avoid strenuous exercise. ► hard facts (=information that is definitely true and can be proven)· His theory is supported by hard facts. ► it is hard/difficult to fault somebody/something  You might not like O'Donnel’s arrogance, but it’s hard to fault what he does on the field. ► find it hard/easy/difficult etc (to do something)  Hyperactive children find it difficult to concentrate. ► easy/difficult/hard etc to follow  The plot is a little difficult to follow. ► a hard/heavy frost (=a severe frost)· We’ve had three continuous nights of hard frost. ► hard/rough/slow etc going  I’m getting the work done, but it’s slow going. ► hard graft  Our success has been due to sheer hard graft. ► difficult/hard/easy etc to guess  It’s hard to guess his age because he dyes his hair. ► hard-and-fast rules  It is impossible to give hard-and-fast rules, but here are some points to consider. ► hard-earned money/cash etc  Don’t be too quick to part with your hard-earned cash. ► a hard-fought battle/contest/game etc  one of the most hard-fought games this season a hard-fought battle for the presidency ► be hard of hearing (=not be able to hear well)· The subtitling service is intended for people who are hard of hearing. ► a cold/hard heart (=used about someone who does not feel sympathy for other people)· It takes a hard heart not to be moved by these images of suffering. ► Hit ... hard  Hit the ball as hard as you can. ► be badly/severely/hard hit  The company has been hard hit by the drop in consumer confidence. ► be hard/difficult to imagine · It’s hard to imagine the suffering she must have gone through. ► be difficult/hard to judge · The economic results of the reforms are difficult to judge. ► a hard kick · A hard kick to the knee could cause a lot of damage. ► take a tough/firm/hard line on something  The school takes a very tough line on drugs. ► listen carefully/intently/hard etc  The whole class was listening attentively. Liz stood still and listened hard (=very carefully). ► long hard look  This month, take a long hard look (=examine very carefully) at where your money is going. ► firm/soft/hard etc mattress  an old, lumpy mattress ► hard muscles (=strong, firm muscles)· the hard muscles of his back and shoulders ► it is hard/difficult to overestimate something (=used to emphasize that something is very important)· It is hard to overestimate the effect the war has had on these children. ► the hard/easy part · Deciding what you’re going to cook is the easy part. ► hard/difficult to pin down  The flavour was hard to pin down. ► be hard/easy/impossible etc to please  She’s hard to please. Everything has to be perfect. ► a hard/powerful punch · My stomach took a couple of hard punches. ► push ... hard  Encourage your kids to try new things, but try not to push them too hard. ► pushing hard  He was pushing hard for welfare reform. ► difficult/hard question · Some of the questions in the last section were very difficult. ► tough/hard race · He said he expected the race to be tough. ► it rains heavily/hard (=a lot of water comes down)· It was raining heavily when we arrived in New York. ► hard/difficult to resist · The temptation to follow them was hard to resist. ► hard slog  months of hard slog ► hard slog  a long hard slog uphill ► stare hard/intently (=very steadily, with a lot of attention)· She stared hard at him for a moment. ► a hard stare (=very steady, with a lot of attention)· As he passed, he gave us a hard stare. ► hard/difficult to stomach  Rob found Cathy’s attitude hard to stomach. ► hard surface · The path has a hard surface suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. ► swallowed hard  Leo swallowed hard and walked into the room. ► hard to swallow  I found his story a bit hard to swallow (=difficult to believe). ► hard to take  Liz found his criticisms hard to take. ► hard think (=with a lot of mental effort)· I bet, if you think really hard, you can think of something to do. ► long and hard (=hard, for a long time, before making a decision)· I thought long and hard about taking the role. ► hard thinking · Over the next two days a lot of hard thinking went into the campaign. ► a dull/hard/heavy thud  There was a dull thud as the box hit the floor. ► hard try · She was trying hard not to show her impatience. ► try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)· Try your best to block out other distractions. ► hard water (=containing a lot of calcium)· Hard water is formed as rainwater passes down through layers of limestone. ► severe/hard/harsh winter (=very cold)· In a hard winter, many birds starve. ► a hard/soft wood · Oak is a hard wood. ► work ... hard  I’m going to have to work really hard to pass these exams. ► working hard  The company is working hard to improve its image. ► hard work · It’s been very hard work, but I’ve loved every moment of it. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► case · Epiphone Sheraton, sunburst, including hard case, £250.· A hard case, he thought.· Of course they will, but in hard cases judges must make controversial judgments of political morality whichever conception of law they hold.· These are, indeed, hard cases to win.· A hard case calls for decision.· Conventionalism fails here as it fails in cross-section, in explaining how particular hard cases like our samples are debated and decided.· Also old but usable Jazz Bass hard case.· Fender Strat, white with hard case, £175. ► cash · Intellectuals were called on to transform their knowledge into hard cash.· Luckily, the chatter of cold hard cash later persuaded the state to sell the name to the highest bidder.· John's role was to get together as much hard cash as possible.· Two Model Village awards will not suffice our merchants for cold, hard cash.· Chamois and crystal hunters began to convert their mountain skills into hard cash by becoming mountain guides for the more adventurous tourists.· The social types turned out en masse to cheer on their friends and to put a little hard cash on the line.· For the City has not been prepared to back his business with hard cash.· There was very little hard cash. ► copy · The Stand-alone Hard Copy system allows the user to produce, on suitable media, hard copies of online modules.· A hard copy map of their course was spread out over the console before him.· The hard copy volume is deleted from the hard copy directory regardless of whether it has been accepted or rejected.· Note that modules can only be hard copied if they are online and can not be nominated for hard copy individually.· This utility allows you to alter images in such a way as to produce the best possible hard copy from your printer.· These hard copy keywords must be entered as the final keywords in the configuration file.· The full size terminal can store up to 37 Prestel pages in memory for review or printing to hard copy.· Three departments attempt to keep the use of hard copy to a minimum by extensive use of online services. ► core · The other kind of move that is ruled out is one that violates the hard core, as we have already mentioned.· There are not, however, too many hard core pumpernickel types left, certainly not enough to support small bakeries.· The hard core of Newtonian physics is comprised of Newton's laws of motion plus his law of gravitational attraction.· I believed the drill instructor was hard core, nose to the grindstone, always screaming and shouting.· The plotters represented the hard core of the right wing.· I would like to add to this that we could totally eradicate the hard core of the crisis by the year 2000.· Order is maintained by the inviolability of the hard core of a programme and by the positive heuristic that accompanies it.· Others are on the run with their families, leaving a hard core to take their guns and guard their property. ► currency · They could be purchased with hard currency but not roubles.· Pizza is the hard currency of our relationship with these children.· From Sept. 15 foreigners were forbidden to export scarce consumer goods, unless purchased for hard currency.· No tax is involved in these countries, and holding the plan offshore means you can use hard currency.· Repatriation of profits would be possible by converting roubles into hard currency on the new exchanges.· Trade with other former members of Comecon is to be in hard currency, if it takes place at all.· Would it not continue to need the hard currency and expertise which a westernised Hong Kong attracted?· According to the Treaty, non-signatories would have to pay hard currency for their imports from the new Soviet Union. ► day · Next time we'd come prepared for longer, harder days.· Floral print After a hard day in the garden, come in and relax on beautiful tapestry cushions designed by Kaffe Fassett.· And the few shillings earned was more than welcome in those hard days.· A bit of companionship with fellow climbers and walkers is just the job at the end of a hard day. ► decision · He made the hard decision to abandon the Old World.· They say it must have been such a hard decision.· But it was a hard decision.· This, too, was a hard decision because Gary Stevens merited prime consideration.· In old age Ramsey looked back and knew that this was the hardest decision of his life.· The officials who are retiring or were defeated had to make hard decisions after the flood.· The hard decisions need to be taken early.· Apart from this, the 1994 budget's main feature is to put off some hard decisions on weapons-procurement. ► disk · It tells you which files belonging to which programs are on your hard disk and it can also compress files.· The hard disk drive is fast, too, with its own on-board cache.· A hard disk enables the microcomputer to store vast amounts of information on disk.· Grimmer agents were saying it was a case of an entirely lost hard disk.· So they use a section of that old hard disk to store the overflow.· Some one has suffered a trashed hard disk or corrupted file or lost an important configuration setting. ► drive · Is the hard drive from a reputable manufacturer?· It will also move a program from one hard drive to another or from one computer to another.· In the next window, browse to the file's location on your hard drive and select it, then click Next.· The hard drive is slower than the one on the Dell.· This includes the serial and parallel ports, the hard drive, the screen and finally, the whole machine.· The other kind is disk storage, commonly on a hard drive or floppy disk.· It is important to keep your disks in order, especially hard drives which hold lots of information.· A cookie is simply a small data file on your hard drive. ► drug · Dealing in drugs, particularly hard drugs, is not an activity condoned by any of the community organisations on the estate.· No topless dancers, no hard drugs, no trial.· Our reporters uncovered a generation who have been sucked into a dark underworld of solvent abuse and hard drugs.· Tobacco and alcohol are far more harmful than the so-called hard drugs, heroin and cocaine.· Is it fair to equate alcohol with hard drugs?· He accepted that legalisation would not necessarily greatly increase addiction to hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin.· The linking of alcohol and hard drugs confuses health education messages.· She warned that even the first injection of hard drugs can kill. ► edge · X100's body will be rounded and sculpted, with soft, flowing lines and no hard edges or chrome highlights.· The demonstrations, meanwhile, began to take on a harder edge in recent weeks.· She remains gutsy throughout presenting a harder edge to previous Ritas I have seen.· He had a hard edge to his voice.· Flats are suitable for larger strokes, holding a good charge of pigment and are good for hard edges.· Her smile broadened, lost its hard edge.· These can be made tighter by running the material over a hard edge to squeeze the coils.· Touched the hard edge of diamonds. ► evidence · Developers and investors seek to reduce risk, and a key influence on their thinking will be hard evidence of success.· There is no hard evidence of files spirited away and even if they were, nobody knows whether they contain anything sinister.· This was a pseudo-historical theory for which there was no hard evidence.· The board reported in March that there is little hard evidence about the amount of this new type of fraud.· But, again, the commission found no hard evidence that Mr Wahid had lied or misused the money.· There are surely many answers to this question, not one of which is impeccably established by hard evidence.· At present, there is considerable speculation about developments in the Corridor but little hard evidence.· To what extent is it founded on hard evidence? ► fact · We supply the hard facts so you can do-it-yourself.· The hard fact is that computers are complicated, and always will be.· Cultural differences Cultural differences are often the hardest facts for expatriates to accept.· The time zone changes as we went west further increased our sensation that time was no longer a hard fact.· So what are the hard facts?· But in the mutable world of the modern organization, major decisions are seldom made solely on the basis of hard facts.· It was a greatly respected and slightly feared publication, dealing in hard fact, abrasive as Maggie herself was abrasive.· Ultimately, the answers lie in the hard fact that racism and sexism remain powerful currents in our national life. ► hat · You haven't got hard hats on.· If hydrogen sulfide or some other poisonous gas is detected, Donahue dons an airtight breathing device and a hard hat.· However, cyclists make a good example because they too are starting to wear hard hats.· When no vapors are present, he simply wears the hard hat.· All men on site will be required to wear hard hats and safety boots at all times within the designated areas.· Radio across town were handing out hard hats for a press tour of their nearly completed Beverly Hills facility.· A hard hat can protect you from having a metal spike go through your skull and into your brain.· I had to put my hard hat on and go to work. ► hit · Graham Cowdrey kept the runs flowing with a hard hit 88.· Particularly hard hit would be relatives of immigrants legally in the United States.· The number of job offerings was down 11% from the previous year, with studio teaching positions particularly hard hit.· New Jersey and New York will be especially hard hit.· Andy, whose estranged wife Fergie has caused much of the dismay, could be the hardest hit.· Countries not so reliant on oil because of lack of industrial development can be hard hit indirectly.· Among the hardest hit has been Aerospace, which faces a tough time over the next two to three years.· Californians have been particularly hard hit. ► labour · And hard labour ... the railway navvies remembered by a rock band.· Charged with obscenity the magistrates gave them six months hard labour each.· Workers who lose their jobs are sent to farm camps, along with bureaucrats doing two weeks' hard labour.· The Vote reported one incident of child assault in Surrey, where a man was sentenced to only four months hard labour.· But the hard labour for criminals which replaced judicial execution was so appalling that it was in effect a living death.· However, an extra month's hard labour made good the loss.· He was given six months' hard labour after he refused on principle to pay the fine.· Theo took a shorter journey-to Wormwood Scrubs, where he did four months' hard labour. ► life · He said he'd had a hard life.· He had a hard life on the island.· She married him, had two children in two years and, she says, endured a hard life.· They led a very hard life, always hungry, sometimes without food for several days.· She too is seventy but looks like a thirty-four-year-old who led a very hard life.· Graham had a hard life from childhood.· She knew that Jonnie had had a hard life. ► line · Use a cotton bud to blend the colours together, so there are no hard lines.· But regulators are taking a harder line these days.· Scott ignored his insult and continued walking, his face set in hard lines.· I have suffered as a result of this merciless hard line plenty of times myself.· For both sides in this conflict have returned to the hardest of hard lines.· But the Clinton administration is still taking a hard line.· De Gaulle took a hard line towards the strike.· But both sides are taking a hard line. ► look · This can only be assessed by examining the meaning of hard look more closely.· He ignored her and threw a hard look at me: I better not tell.· I gave him a hard look.· Clarisa gave her a hard look.· She wanted some one outside Orkney to take a long, hard look at what was happening within the islands.· The hard look that seems wrong on a face so young was suddenly gone.· The next stage is to take a long, hard look at yourself.· The next time you see a personal computer, take a long, hard look. ► man · Of course Jeeves would disapprove: but then he is a hard man to please.· He had to be diplomat, psychologist, hard man, soft man, entrepreneur, spiritual leader, general and peacekeeper.· But Cooper is more than a hard man.· In the video Jones is, in the main, observing rather than advocating the ruthless antics of the hard men.· Secondly, the band launched heavy metal hard man Ted Nugent, one of rock's more notable characters.· Unlike everybody else, however, the hard man did not look up the neighbourhood exorcist in Thompson's Local Directory.· It was all pleasantly noisy without any air of aggression, there were no yobs or self-styled hard men among the customers.· Wimbledon's hard man ran across the pitch to point threateningly at Middlesbrough assistant manager John Pickering. ► part · The harder parts gave a much more satisfactory finish with clean shiny cutter marks even in the interlocking grain.· In fact, the hardest part is getting the printer out of the box.· The hard part was in the years to come.· The creation of these lunar ephemerides turned out to be the hardest part of the problem.· The hard part is sorting the good memories from the bad.· The hard part would be working it into her schedule.· The hardest part is finding a provider that supports it.· That had been the hard part, immensely hard, getting the permission. ► rock · It is very difficult dealing with fractures and dislocations which have happened on fairly hard rock climbs.· Its overhanging walls provide a number of hard rock climbs.· They still play honest hard rock, but now it sounds fresher and has thousands of hard edges.· The harder rocks stand out as ledges, the softer ones form steep slopes.· In an area with such rapid changes in temperature as to erode hard rock into sand, soft shells would not have survived.· Erosion of hard rocks is usually very different.· Differential erosion of the rocks has resulted in the hard rocks being left as peaks separated by deeply eroded valleys and ravines. ► shoulder · She wanted to give in, weaken, her eyes closing and her fingers curling on his hard shoulders.· He left her on the hard shoulder, near Epping, Essex, saying she would only have to wait 15 minutes.· The two children, Mark in Georgina's arms, were spotted along the hard shoulder.· I pictured a man taking leave of his motor; wobbling from the fast lane towards the hard shoulder.· He pulled up on the hard shoulder, switched off and got out.· The body of the pregnant housewife was found near the M-50 motorway after her car broke down on the hard shoulder. ► thing · Well, it is the hardest thing for humans to do, Lord.· The hardest thing about snowshoeing is getting the tethered shoe attached securely to your feet.· They usually seem disappointed when I confess that the hardest thing to deal with is lack of sleep.· The hardest thing I ever did was leave.· How he could just sit there in that silence was the hardest thing I have ever tried to figure out.· The hardest thing for most women to accept now is the white shoe.· Mystification is simple; clarity is the hardest thing of all.· In fact, the hardest thing for a great many people is to win. ► time · By Hugh Hebert COMEDY-thrillers could have a hard time without small black books that disappear containing the clue to mysterious fortunes.· Somehow with the right count Glover had a harder time believing any ofit was real.· Her stepdaughter was only twelve, still a child, and a child who had had a hard time.· For Uncle Allen the truly hard times seemed all behind him.· However, you would not get £149.95p each if you fell on hard times and wanted to sell your sovereigns.· Then agents have a hard time distinguishing illegal aliens from others, he said.· The 1930s were hard times, so I think they will be forgiven for this slight oversight.· With this theme, I had a hard time working in math and science. ► times · But Johnny Herbert's had his fair share of hard times.· His large manufacturing company was in the throes of hard times.· If nothing else, the bank's comical detachment from real life may prove a comfort in these hard times.· The dean himself was incredible in guiding me through some hard times.· The Cambridge University Automobile Club had clearly fallen on hard times, too.· For Uncle Allen the truly hard times seemed all behind him.· The hard times foreseen by Nicholas senior now came.· Stories about hard times teach the value of perseverance and hard work. ► water · Scum is formed when soaps and detergents react with hard water.· It is very sensitive to calcium and does not do well in alkaline or hard water.· It is tolerant of most water conditions, although very hard water may result in the fish's eyes becoming cloudy.· It also grows well in soft as well as medium hard water.· Water condition: Very indifferent to conditions, but medium hard water with slight acidity is preferred.· They withstand artificial illumination well not only from above but also from the sides and are indifferent to moderately hard water. ► way · It must be won, and won the hard way.· Indefatigable, playing the hard way, with his own set of rules to back him up.· I learned this the hard way.· I've been in and out of places, I've had to learn the hard way.· What followed was three years of adults learning the hard way about performance and change.· I was brought up the hard way.· I have done it the hard way. ► work · This is hard work which Karen and her assistants tackle with enthusiasm and dexterity.· Perhaps his / her more modest achievements are indeed due to hard work and a love of learning.· A short spell of hard work in quiet surroundings would not be a bad thing.· Success comes from hard work, dedication, teamwork, discipline.· How good of you to do all that work - and it is such hard work!· He had worked hard all his life, and hard work always gave him tangible results.· The hard work of preparation was punctuated by various diversions.· Everyone complained about the heat and the flies and the hard work, but Luna complained less than the rest of us. ► worker · Since then he has shown every sign of being a pragmatist, an adroit politician and a very hard worker.· He is supposedly not the hardest worker ever.· She was known to be very tough and a very hard worker.· He was a good, hard worker.· He made Mrs Timms look uninterested in her store, the Reliance Market, and she was a hard worker.· The personnel officer read out the relevant paragraph: Muriel is a hard worker and does well when working on her own.· Children who understand the importance of work tend to imitate their parents and become hard workers themselves. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► do something the hard way Despite problems at camp, the field army had learned a great deal by then, much of it the hard way. I have done it the hard way. I learned that the hard way, by losing a couple of first drafts of articles I was writing. I was brought up the hard way. Let them learn the lessons of capitalism the hard way. Los Angeles City Hall found that out the hard way last March. Needless to say, I learned about getting things done, the hard way. ► hard evidence/facts/information etc But lack of documentation limits hard evidence. But, again, the commission found no hard evidence that Mr Wahid had lied or misused the money. For a few minutes longer Isabel tried to sort out hard facts from vague suspicions, with little success. Its record provides hard evidence to support his picture of a service in rude health rather than decline. Nothing in the way of hard facts, in any event. There are surely many answers to this question, not one of which is impeccably established by hard evidence. There is no hard evidence of files spirited away and even if they were, nobody knows whether they contain anything sinister. This was a pseudo-historical theory for which there was no hard evidence. ► hard going Anyone who tried to set up in between us would find it hard going. But getting to be one of these fashionable high-flying image makers with a top salary is hard going. I don't mind it, but it's pretty hard going to sleep with this banging going on. Much of it was hard going, especially in the early parts. Robbie's sandals were low-heeled, but even so she found the pace hard going. ► make hard work of something She was making hard work of plucking the goose. You can make hard work of an easy job if you don't know the right way to go. ► be hard at it/work Ahead of her, Bite the Bullet's jockey was hard at work while the horse on his outside was clearly beaten. Cook was making fresh cornbread rolls for breakfast and lesser mortals were hard at it with brooms and mops. He was hard at work on the translation of a play which had to be ready two days later. Not much is said, as each young person, and Bill, is hard at work at the task at hand. Over the road, Sylvia Brackley and daughter, Karen are hard at work on this year's crop. Thacker had set him a spot of overtime and he was hard at it in the mill. Today, all eight of the Van Andel and DeVos offspring are hard at work making this company better. When she was hard at work and on top of things her productivity was exceptional. ► hard luck Blown engines, driveshaft failures, the 1,500 mile long route is littered with hard luck stories. Can't have that, can we, not on top of all your other hard luck. Either the union is strong enough and can stand it, or it can t, and hard luck. If you don't like it then hard luck! If you don't then like the package, or find it doesn't fulfil one of your requirements, hard luck. Just one hard luck thing after another. There's the same familiar chords, beefed-up arrangements and hard luck stories, but not a lot of conviction. Whether it was the rent or just hard luck, many businesses at the mall also cleared out. ► give somebody a hard time My mother gave me a really hard time about Freddy. She couldn't stand him. She left the company because her boss was giving her a really hard time. Stop giving me such a hard time. I'm doing my best. When I first came here everyone gave me a really hard time, because I was the first woman to run a department. Her boss, Detective Hineline, is always giving her a hard time and she never gets really mad at him. If you wonder why people give you a hard time, it's because you write shit like this. Maybe Modigliani gave them a hard time, I don't know. The crew gave him a hard time, and even the cast was cautious about him. The laughter had stopped a while ago and, ever since, Lydia's imagination had been giving her a hard time. Tom gave him a hard time. Watson had been given a hard time from the Wednesday crowd before those goals but is now hoping the tide has turned. Yet Wakefield gave them a hard time throughout. ► have a hard time A lot of people are having a hard time making ends meet. Anyone calling the 202 area code this weekend had a hard time getting through. I'm still having a hard time getting the company to pay me. I tried to find the house but I had such a hard time, I decided to give up. Premature babies have a hard time even under the best of circumstances. By contrast, books such as Randi's have a hard time finding enthusiastic editors. Cynics will have a hard time taking this seriously. Even the birds have a hard time of it, and you and Mr. He may have a hard time persuading lawmakers. I have a hard time eating meals when I should. The innovation of Private Eye ensured that deference, if not quite dead, would henceforth have a hard time. We have a hard time pulling off one conference. Your boy have a hard time getting it across? ► drive/strike a hard bargain Don't become despondent just because it seems that your employer is keen to drive a hard bargain. It could also be that Reilly, who has never knowingly sold himself short, is driving a hard bargain. So he was right to drive a hard bargain. The farmer had grown used to billeting troops and drove a hard bargain. ► hard feelings Lori's sarcasm can lead to arguments and hard feelings. Actually, this time with hard feelings. And she bore Arnie no hard feelings. But there'd been no hard feelings between me and Albert. But there were no hard feelings. No hard feelings, Dickie boy. Sentiment has been intense on both sides of the issue and hard feelings abound. This is life as a mix of hard feelings, old wounds and some insights into how surprising the heart can be. We'd known each other too long for hard feelings. ► no hard feelings No hard feelings, Stu. You had every right to be angry with me. And she bore Arnie no hard feelings. But there'd been no hard feelings between me and Albert. But there were no hard feelings. He insisted he has no hard feelings toward the club, which tried to trade him prior to the draft. It was all over months ago and, as far as he knew, with no hard feelings. Just to show there's no hard feelings, here's a picture of Nigel's stylish new look. ► take a (long) hard look at something/somebody After the inevitable posture of being affronted, I took a hard look at what I was doing. Blairites could take a harder look at a rhetorical vocabulary in which every single item was anticipated by totalitarianism. In practice, many doctors are too busy to take a long hard look at every patient. Instead, they take a hard look at a difficult moral and political dilemma and find no easy answers. Or you can take a hard look at the feminist agenda. Some one needs to take a long hard look at what has happened to tennis in Ulster over the last 20 years. The latter allows both parties a chance to stand back from the daily routine and take a harder look at overall performance. ► hard line But both sides are taking a hard line. But regulators are taking a harder line these days. But they are taking a hard line in negotiations with the Legislature. Every few minutes, she would pause to look me over, to see if there were hard lines that needed rearrangement. In 1969 they took a hard line. She spoke warmly, but her smile of farewell did not reach her eyes and there were hard lines round her mouth. Use a cotton bud to blend the colours together, so there are no hard lines. You can't draw a hard line between international and national politics not these days. ► hard news Its editorial integrity ought to be unassailable, at least in its hard news sections. Little hard news has come out of the world's biggest advertising group since it put the division on the block. Or will the business plan pressures for the hard news sections be solely on the side of generating readership? The hard news about this interview aired on Monday. You said that you've become identified, almost trapped as a hard news or political photographer. ► (as) hard as nails Hard as nails he may be but don't let anyone tell you Hank hasn't got a sense of humour. Beautiful but hard as nails, she'd thought then. Willie O'Connor is as hard as nails and Liam Simpson takes no prisoners. ► a hard taskmaster/master He was a hard master and a dangerous enemy. She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel. The summer is a hard master. True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster. ► a hard winter/frost After a hard frost the passage walls sweated and water trickled down the corridors. All in all, the young have the odds stacked against them, especially in a hard winter. It looked as though it would be a hard winter. ► the hard left/right But what happens when you want so much to be right, you end up helping the hard right? Labour moderates win over four of the hard left by agreeing that the cuts shall involve as few compulsory redundancies as possible. Mr Steve King, leader of the hard left, denounces his fellow-councillors as dunderheads, nincompoops and dolts. The showing for the hard left was disappointing. They were stars of the hard left, but we have heard little about them during the election struggle. Too little, say the Tories, too much says the hard left. ► a hard left/right I executed a hard right turn, but could not see any other aircraft in my vicinity. More often, though, they miss, hang a hard left, and return to the dugout. Sharp took an eight count after taking a hard left hook. Still not enough to justify this desire to reach across the table and deliver a hard right to the gubernatorial chin. ► be hard on somebody It's going to be hard on the kids if you move away. You're harder on Donald than you are on Monica. As usual, this hypocrisy was hardest on the poor. Carolyn Staley knew that day last week had to be hard on her old friend, Bill Clinton. He was hard on David but David certainly was talented. It really is something, though he is hard on you and he is difficult. Most successful entrepreneurs are hard on themselves, in the sense that they are never easily satisfied. Normally disasters are hardest on the poor. This life was harder on her than on anyone else. You always let people know it was hard on you that Dad taught school. ► be hard on something Aspirin can be hard on your stomach. As usual, this hypocrisy was hardest on the poor. Carolyn Staley knew that day last week had to be hard on her old friend, Bill Clinton. He was hard on David but David certainly was talented. It really is something, though he is hard on you and he is difficult. Most successful entrepreneurs are hard on themselves, in the sense that they are never easily satisfied. Normally disasters are hardest on the poor. This life was harder on her than on anyone else. You always let people know it was hard on you that Dad taught school. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a hard/tough etc act to follow Clearly Amelia was a hard act to follow. Colm Toibin's piece will be a hard act to follow but I suspect you are up to it. I know that she will be a tough act to follow. It was a hard act to follow, but the poor did what they could to provide respectable funerals for their dead. John's is, of course, a hard act to follow. The new model has a tough act to follow. You've certainly set us a hard act to follow! ► it’s difficult/hard to believe (that) Female speaker It's hard to believe it's happened. It's hard to believe another child could do such a thing. It's hard to believe just how dire it is. It's hard to believe Marie's got a husband. It's hard to believe now but I actually made do with hooks for a while! It's hard to believe that he started painting in World War Two and is still painting today. It's hard to believe, but we're fast approaching the dessert hour. The ideological points are still there but it's hard to believe that totalitarian regimentation could be so tight. ► cold (hard) cash After a year, the igloo-shaped stadium has cost the citizens $ 20 million in very cold cash. Luckily, the chatter of cold hard cash later persuaded the state to sell the name to the highest bidder. No cold cash in the Nugent icebox, however, so I moved on. The other driving force is cold cash and order books. ► a darn sight better/harder etc► old habits/traditions/customs die hard But old habits die hard, and Apple has shown a proclivity to chase market share while hand-wringing over shrinking gross margins. It was probably unnecessary, she thought, but old habits died hard. Perhaps because it's an island old customs die hard here. Things were going well, but old habits die hard. This is an area where old customs die hard. ► bad/difficult/hard etc enough Even a Patel, probably a Bhatt if I looked hard enough. It's bad enough trying to fly with unequal line lengths; having an asymmetric kite can be most frustrating! She identified the problem not as trying too hard to live up to a domestic ideal but as not trying hard enough. Since the cold war ended in 1988, they have worked hard enough to produce some kind of an economic miracle. That was going to be difficult enough anyway. The ties with the past difficult enough to sever already. This would be bad enough if California prisons were full of nothing but Charles Mansons. ► fall on hard/bad times At 21 she is set for stardom, but she still finds time for people who have fallen on hard times. Even by political standards, Gingrich very quickly fell on hard times. I assumed that if a person fell on hard times some one else in the wider family would rescue them. Interestingly, though, the bottom 10 includes many household names fallen on hard times. The Cambridge University Automobile Club had clearly fallen on hard times, too. The model cities program fell on hard times soon after it began. With the outbreak of war, the shop fell on harder times. Worse, because of Jack the father has fallen on hard times and must meet all kinds of debts. ► be a hard act to follow Clearly Amelia was a hard act to follow. Colm Toibin's piece will be a hard act to follow but I suspect you are up to it. It was a hard act to follow, but the poor did what they could to provide respectable funerals for their dead. Judith will be a hard act to follow. ► old habits die hard But old habits die hard, and Apple has shown a proclivity to chase market share while hand-wringing over shrinking gross margins. It was probably unnecessary, she thought, but old habits died hard. Things were going well, but old habits die hard. ► hard-boiled film/thriller/fiction etc► hard-core pornography► the hard of hearing► (hard/hot/close) on the heels of something Critique followed hot on the heels of this pioneering work. On the heels of this came Mr J. to tell us that young Mrs P. had had her thighbone crushed. Then it seemed that the consummation would follow soon on the heels of its inauguration. With another couple of laps he might have finished close on the heels of the two Dunlops. ► (hard/hot/close) on somebody’s heels► learn (something) the hard way I learned the hard way that drugs weren't an answer to my problems. But, as Server shows us, he learned apathy the hard way. Early on he learned - the hard way - that it was the passport to success. He learned this the hard way, when he tried to move his head. I learned that the hard way, by losing a couple of first drafts of articles I was writing. I learned this the hard way. Mainline medicine learned this the hard way when it first started to use anesthetics. She had learned it the hard way and she never let her guard slip at all. The Lisa designers also learned this the hard way, and their computer shipped with 1024K, or a megabyte of memory. ► bad/hard/tough luck Can't have that, can we, not on top of all your other hard luck. He felt that this little piece of bad luck might affect his whole day. I kept looking into the mirror and hating my bad luck, but there they were. There were lots of near misses: some great saves from both keepers, and sheer bad luck. Unfortunately, the gents had bad luck. You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before. ► as hard/tough as nails Willie O'Connor is as hard as nails and Liam Simpson takes no prisoners. ► tough/hard nut Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack. Back, now, to the hard nuts. Beverley was a tougher nut to crack. One glance was all it took to realise this was one hard nut to crack - his features still completely impassive. Shearer, a tough nut not inclined to whinge, said his ankle was like a pudding. Tax will be an even tougher nut. West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment. ► a hard/tough nut to crack Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites. Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack. Beverley was a tougher nut to crack. West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment. ► a difficult/hard/good etc one But what is temperament, and how do we define what is a good one? I knew there was no sense in trying to do a better one. Maybe it was a crackpot theory, but it was a good one. Nevertheless, it was always clear that Schmidt's third term in office would prove a difficult one. Payno was gleeful, for his idea was a good one. The belief that hierarchical organizational structure makes for good business is a difficult one to give up. The Berlin Philharmonic as it exists today may be a happier orchestra, but it is in no way a better one. Then I became a lead project manager and, I have to say, I was a good one. ► pack a (hard/hefty/strong etc) punch A wave 10 feet high and 500 feet long can pack a punch of 400,000 pounds per linear foot of its crest. Anne Packer packed a punch with Baked Beans. At last - takeaway sandwiches with flavour that packs a punch! For the first time in a long time, an Eddie Murphy movie packs a punch. The paper is light; it doesn't pack a punch. ► play hard to get You should call her again - I think she's just playing hard to get. And they may not just be playing hard to get. I am not going to suggest that you play hard to get. If it was Viola, she was obviously playing hard to get. It had nothing to do with teasing or playing hard to get. ► be (hard) pushed to do something► be (stuck) between a rock and a hard place► a hard/tough row to hoe Improving schools with little funding is a tough row to hoe. They have a hard row to hoe. ► a hard/tough sell► better/harder/worse etc still And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain. But perhaps the early evening was better still? He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in. I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop. I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still. Or better still, make a real talent show instead. Or better still, there was the village school practically next door! With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains. ► be a hard/stern/tough taskmaster If self-employment is any guide, the dejobbed worker is likely to be a stern taskmaster. She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel. True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster. ► work somebody hard Sometimes I think that they work us too hard in this office. The bank's managers admit that they work their employees hard, but on the other hand they pay good wages. ► make heavy/hard work of something She was making hard work of plucking the goose. You can make hard work of an easy job if you don't know the right way to go. ► a good/hard/quick etc worker He is supposedly not the hardest worker ever. He made Mrs Timms look uninterested in her store, the Reliance Market, and she was a hard worker. He was a good, hard worker. She was known to be very tough and a very hard worker. She was such a hard worker and a wonderful cook. The girl was a good worker who came and went quietly about her business. Word family WORD FAMILYnounhardshiphardnesshardinessadjectivehardhardenedhardyadverbhardhardlyverbharden 1firm to touch firm, stiff, and difficult to press down, break, or cut OPP  soft:  a hard wooden chair the hardest substance known to man After months without rain, the ground was too hard to plough.2difficult difficult to do or understand SYN  difficult OPP  easy:  This year’s exam was much harder than last year’s. You’ll have to make some hard decisions. They’re a hard team to beat.it is hard to believe/imagine/see/know etc It was hard to see what else we could have done. It’s hard to believe that anyone would say something like that.find it hard to do something I was finding it hard to concentrate. Permanent jobs are hard to come by (=difficult to find or get).be hard for somebody It must be hard for her, bringing up three kids on her own. Telling my parents is going to be the hardest thing about it.have a hard time doing something (=be difficult for someone to do something) You’ll have a hard time proving that. I had a hard time persuading him to accept the offer. Such criticism was hard to take (=difficult to accept).► see thesaurus at difficult3work/effort [usually before noun] using or involving a lot of mental or physical effort:  To be successful in sport requires hard work and a great deal of determination. After a hard day at work, I just want to come home and put my feet up.a hard day’s work/walking/skiing etc There’s a sauna where you can relax after a hard day’s skiing. Becoming a doctor never interested him. It was too much like hard work (=it would involve too much work).► see thesaurus at tiring4full of problems a situation or time that is hard is one in which you have a lot of problems, especially when you do not have enough money:  She’s had a hard life. Times were hard and they were forced to sell their house. He had clearly fallen on hard times (=did not have much money).5be hard on somebody a)to criticize someone in a way that is unfair, or to be too strict with them:  Perhaps I’m too hard on her. b)to have a bad effect on someone:  Divorce can be very hard on children.6be hard on something to have a bad effect on something:  Standing all day is very hard on the feet.7 do something the hard way to learn, achieve, or do something after a bad experience or by making mistakes:  He learned the hard way about the harsh reality of the boxing world. Make sure you put the baby’s diaper on before you start feeding her. I learned this lesson the hard way. He earned his promotion the hard way.8using force using a lot of force:  Jane gave the door a good hard push. She gave him a hard slap.9 hard evidence/facts/information etc facts that are definitely true and can be proved:  There is no hard evidence to support this theory.10unkind showing no sympathetic or gentle feelings:  a hard face Her voice was hard and cold. You’re a hard man, John.11hard going a)difficult to do and needing a lot of effort:  A strong wind made the race very hard going. b)boring, or difficult to deal with, talk to etc:  I find some of his friends pretty hard going.12 make hard work of something to make something you are doing seem more difficult than it really is:  Juventus were making hard work of what should have been an easy game.13 be hard at it/work informal to be very busy doing something:  Sarah was hard at it on her computer.14water hard water contains a lot of minerals, and does not mix easily with soap OPP  soft15hard luck a)British English spoken used to tell someone that you feel sorry for them because they have not succeeded in what they were trying to do:  ‘I failed my driving test.’ ‘Oh, hard luck!’ b)when bad things happen to you that are not your fault:  You’ve had your share of hard luck.hard on It was hard luck on you. c)spoken (also hard cheese British English) used to say that you do not care if someone is having problems, does not like something etc:  If you don’t like the idea then hard luck!16give somebody a hard time informal a)to treat someone badly or cause problems for them:  Giving you a hard time, is she? They reached the border where officials gave them a hard time. b)to criticize someone a lot:  Hostile critics have given Hartman a hard time.17have a hard time to have a lot of problems or bad experiences:  I’m glad she’s happy at last – she’s had such a hard time. Vegetarians still often have a hard time of it when it comes to eating out.18drive/strike a hard bargain to demand a lot or refuse to give too much when you are making an agreement:  The company is believed to have struck a hard bargain.19hard feelings a)anger between people because of something that has happened:  We’d known each other too long for hard feelings. I have no hard feelings towards Steve. b)no hard feelings spoken used to tell someone that you do not want to be angry with them or for them to be angry with you:  I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but no hard feelings, eh?20 take a (long) hard look at something/somebody to think carefully about something, especially with the result that you change your opinions or behaviour:  You should take a long hard look at the issues before committing yourself.21hard line a strict way of dealing with someone or something:  The president should abandon his hard line in the region.take/adopt a hard line (on something) The school takes a very hard line on drugs.22hard news news stories that are about serious subjects or events:  TV news programs seem to be more interested in gossip than in hard news.23not frightened British English spoken strong, ready to fight, and not afraid of anyone or anything:  He thinks he’s really hard. Jones was known as soccer’s hard man.24 (as) hard as nails someone who is hard as nails seems to have no feelings such as fear or sympathy25 a hard taskmaster/master someone who makes people work too hard26 a hard winter/frost a very cold winter or frost OPP  mild27the hard left/right people who have extreme left-wing or right-wing political aims and ideas SYN  far left/right, extreme:  concerns about the re-emergence of the hard right in some areas28light especially literary hard light is bright and unpleasant SYN  harsh:  the hard brilliance of the moonlight29alcohol [only before noun] informal very strong:  hard liquor I never touch the hard stuff (=strong alcohol). → hard drugs30 a hard left/right a big turn to the left or right, for example when you are driving SYN  sharp31pronunciation a hard ‘c’ is pronounced /k/ rather than /s/; a hard ‘g’ is pronounced /g/ rather than /dz/ → soft—hardness noun [uncountable]:  a material that would combine the flexibility of rubber with the hardness of glassTHESAURUShard difficult to press down, break, or cut, and not at all soft: · I fell onto the hard stone floor.· The clay gets harder as it dries.firm not completely hard, but not easy to press or bend – used especially when this seems a good thing: · I like to sleep on a firm mattress.· exercises to make your stomach muscles nice and firm· The pears were firm and juicy.stiff difficult to bend and not changing shape: · a piece of stiff cardboard· The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable.solid made of a thick hard material and not hollow: · a solid oak door· The floor felt strong and solid beneath her feet.rigid /ˈrɪdʒəd/ having a structure that is made of a material that is difficult or impossible to bend: · The tent is supported by a rigid frame.· Carry sandwiches in a rigid container.crisp/crispy used about food that is pleasantly hard, so that it makes a noise when you bite it – often used about things that have been cooked in thin slices until they are brown: · Bake the cookies until they are crisp and golden.· crispy baconcrunchy food that is crunchy makes a noise when you bite on it – often used about things that are fresh, for example fruit, vegetables, and nuts: · a crunchy breakfast cereal· The carrots were still nice and crunchy.· a crunchy salad· crunchy peanut buttertough meat that is tough is too hard and is difficult to cut or eat: · The meat was tough and flavourless.rubbery too hard and bending like rubber rather than breaking – used especially about meat: · The chicken was all rubbery.COLLOCATIONS CHECKfirm bed/muscles/fruit/vegetables/groundstiff card/cardboard/collar/material/fingers/bodysolid wood/steel/concrete/floor/wallrigid frame/structurecrisp/crispy apple/bacon/toast/potato/lettucecrunchy cereal/vegetables/nuts/snacktough meatrubbery meat hard1 adjectivehard2 adverb hardhard2 ●●● S1 W2 adverb (comparative harder, superlative hardest) Entry menu MENU FOR hardhard1 using energy/effort2 with force3 become solid4 be hard hit/be hit hard5 be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something6 be/feel hard done by7 take something hard8 hard upon/on something9 laugh/cry hard Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES Elaine had been working hard all morning. It's raining hard. She ran all that way and she wasn't even breathing hard. Tyson hit him hard on the chin. We try hard to keep our customers happy. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS This seems hard on the hippopotamus. Unlike Shaw, he had to work, and he worked hard. Work hard when and where you were required: that's what was in the articles. Thesaurus Longman Language Activatorwhen something does not change its shape or bend► hard · That night I had to sleep on a hard stone floor.· I wish this chair wasn't so hard and uncomfortable.· Diamond is probably the hardest substance known to man.· As people age, their skin becomes harder and less supple.rock- hard (=very hard) · After several weeks without rain, the ground was rock-hard.as hard as something · A tiled floor in the kitchen is as hard as stone, and very cold beneath your feet. ► solid something that is solid is made of thick hard material, is not hollow, and is difficult to damage or break: · The door was made of solid steel.· During winter the lake became a solid block of ice. ► firm something that is firm is not completely hard, but does not change shape much when you press it - use this about things that are sometimes soft, for example fruit, muscles, or the ground: · I find I sleep better on a firm mattress.· These exercises are good for making your stomach muscles nice and firm. ► stiff something that is stiff keeps its shape and is not easy to bend: · To make the picture, you will need a sheet of stiff card.· The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable.go stiff British: · The sheets outside on the washing line had gone stiff in the frost. ► rigid a material that is rigid is difficult or impossible to bend, and is often used to support something else: · The tent is made of strong canvas attached to a rigid frame.· Spoon the ice-cream into a rigid plastic container and freeze. food► hard food that is hard is difficult to bite through and not nice to eat: · I've cooked the potatoes for half an hour but they still seem a bit hard.· That candy was so hard I nearly broke a tooth.go hard: · Keep the cake in a tin, to prevent it from going hard. ► tough food, especially meat, that is tough is difficult to cut or eat, for example because it is too old or has been cooked for too long: · The chicken was very tough, as though it had not been freshly cooked that day.· You can throw away the tough outer leaves of the cabbage. ► crunchy food that is crunchy is firm and fresh, and makes a noise when you bite it: · Children love crunchy breakfast cereals and they're full of vitamins too.· For lunch I usually have something simple, with a fresh crunchy salad. ► crisp /crispy food, especially fruit or vegetables, that is crisp is firm and fresh, or has been cooked until it is quite hard and slightly brown: · a delicious crisp green apple· You can serve the chicken with a crispy stir fry of mixed vegetables.· Bake the pastry at 180 for about twenty minutes until crisp and golden. ► firm fruit or vegetables that are firm are not soft when you press them: · Buy peaches that are quite firm, as they ripen very quickly indoors.· For this recipe you will need six firm tomatoes. to become hard or make something hard► harden · The glue needs about 24 hours to harden.· Steel is hardened by heating it to a very high temperature.harden into/to · Much of the mountain consists of volcanic ash, long since hardened to jagged rock. ► solidify if a liquid such as melted metal or wax solidifies , it becomes hard: · Tools are made by pouring liquid metal into a mould and allowing it to cool and solidify.· As the lava flowed down the volcano it solidified, forming strange shapes. ► set if a liquid substance sets , it becomes harder - use this to talk about something that slowly becomes harder after it is mixed with water, for example, food or building materials: · Put the jelly in the fridge for an hour to set.· The concrete will take several hours to set, so make sure no one walks on it. ► freeze if a liquid freezes , it becomes hard because it has become very cold: · The water in the lake used to freeze most winters, and then it was good for skating.be frozen solid: · Hey! The milk's frozen solid! ► stiffen to make something stiffer and harder: · Point your toes and stiffen the muscles in your legs.· You can stiffen curtain fabric by using a special liquid solution. to deal very strictly with bad behaviour or crime► come down hard on to deal very strictly with a bad behaviour or crime by punishing people severely for it: · You'll find that Mr Evans comes down very hard on people who don't do their job properly.· The authorities are really coming down hard on tax evasion. ► crack down on to start dealing with an illegal activity in a much stricter way than before: · The Athletics Federation plans to crack down on drug and steroid abuse by athletes.· The government has promised to crack down on crime.· City authorities were quick to crack down on the rioters. ► clamp down on to treat a particular crime or activity much more strictly than before to stop it from becoming more common: · New laws will clamp down on the illegal smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco.· Recently the courts have clamped down on joy-riding. ► tighten up to make rules, laws, or controls more strict so that it is harder for people to break them: · The prime minister has promised to tighten up the law on carbon dioxide emissions.tighten up on: · The music industry is determined to tighten up on the illegal copying of CDs. to do something too much► try/think/push etc too hard to do something with too much effort, so that you do not get the result you want: · You're hitting the ball too hard.· I think you've been working too hard - you need a rest· Many parents try too hard to engineer a safe environment for their child, with disastrous results. ► overdo it especially spoken to do or say something too much, especially to do too much work or exercise: · You need more exercise, but be careful not to overdo it.· The tour guide managed to be funny and informative, without overdoing it. ► overreact to get too angry or too worried when something happens which is not in fact very serious: · Don't you think you're overreacting a little? I'm only ten minutes late.overreact to: · I think people have overreacted to the advertisement - we didn't intend of offend anyone. ► go too far/take something too far to do something so much or to such a great degree that you offend, upset, or annoy people, especially because you do not know when it is reasonable to stop: · Officials were worried that the Chairman's criticisms had gone too far.· John had taken the joke too far and now Betty was crying.go too far/take sth too far in doing something: · We all agree there have to be some controls, but the government has gone too far in ordering all immigration to be stopped. ► go to extremes to do something so much, state something so strongly etc, that people consider your actions unacceptable and unreasonable: · Hunt went to such extremes to get his promotion that everyone at the office hates him now.· You don't have to go to extremes to become healthier - a little exercise and slight changes to your diet can work wonders. ► to excess if you do something to excess , you do it so much that it is wrong or harmful: · The government enthusiastically supports US foreign policy, sometimes to excess.· He drank to excess, occasionally causing scenes in front of CIA officials. ► over the top something you say or do that is over the top is extreme, so that it is either very funny and entertaining, or very annoying or offensive: · Some of his remarks about women were really over the top.· The show was supposed to be a kind of over-the-top satire - it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.go over the top: · The movie's drawn-out finale goes over the top in its attempt to keep the audience in suspense. ► overload to give someone too much work to do or try to make a system handle too much work: · We can't take money from a school system that is already overloaded.· They overloaded the computer system, and the whole thing just stopped.· Projects should stretch people and make them work hard, but not overload them. ► overindulge/overindulge yourself use this humorously when you have eaten too much rich food or drunk too much alcohol: · Schneider told quite a funny story about how he had overindulged one night.· What's the point of a vacation, after all, if not to overindulge yourself? ► flog something to death British informal to talk too much about a subject or repeat a joke or story too often, so that no one is interested in it any more: · It was a good story a month ago, but the newspapers have really flogged it to death. to try very hard to do something► try hard to make a lot of effort, because you want very much to do something: · No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the window to open.try hard to do something: · I was trying hard not to laugh.· You must try harder to get your homework done on time. ► make an effort to try hard to do something, especially something you do not want to do but you think you should do: · Can't you make more of an effort?make an effort to do something: · I made an effort to sound interested in what he was saying.· I wish you'd make an effort to get on with my friends.make no effort to do something: · She makes absolutely no effort to see the other person's point of view. ► strive formal to try hard to achieve something, especially when this is difficult: strive to do something: · Toni has been striving to achieve musical recognition for the past ten years.strive for: · The company must constantly strive for greater efficiency. ► be at pains to do something to make a lot of effort to do something, especially to explain something people do not understand correctly: · Mrs Henessy was at pains to say that she was fighting for a principle, not just for financial compensation. ► go to great lengths to do something to be willing to use any method that is necessary in order to achieve something, even if this involves being dishonest, breaking the law etc: · Health professionals have gone to great lengths to reassure patients that the treatment is safe.· Some firms will go to great lengths, including spying, to obtain information about their competitors. to work hard► work hard to work hard when you are doing your job, your schoolwork, or anything that takes time and effort: · Bruno had been working hard in the kitchen all morning.· I wouldn't mind working so hard if they paid us more. ► put a lot of effort into something to work hard because you think something is important and you want to do it well: · Stella had obviously put a lot of effort into her assignment, and got a good grade.· The company puts a great deal of effort into training its staff. ► work at to try hard to improve something or to improve the way you do something: · The only way to be successful in athletics is to really work at it.· You should be able to take your music exam in the summer, if you work at it between now and then. ► be hard at work /be hard at it British informal to be working very hard and continuously: · Mike's been hard at it all afternoon and he still hasn't finished mending the car.be hard at work on something: · Since January, Leane's been hard at work on a self-help book on how to launch a business.be hard at work doing something: · They've been hard at work getting the house decorated. ► push yourself to force yourself to work or train very hard at something: · If you really push yourself, you should get all the work done on time.push yourself hard: · Warm up your body before you start exercising, and avoid pushing yourself too hard or too fast. ► beaver away British /plug away American informal to work very hard for a long time in a determined way: · American investment bankers are still plugging away, looking for business in developing countries like Thailand, Indonesia, or Malaysia.beaver away on/at: · Haven't you finished? You've been beavering away on that report all morning. ► labour British /labor American formal to work hard, especially doing hard physical work, or doing something difficult or boring: · Sheffield is a city where steel-workers once laboured in their thousands.labour over: · Shipman was seated in his office, labouring over his paperwork, when I came in.labour to do something: · The goal was just what the team needed, at the end of a game in which they had laboured hard to overcome Chelsea. to work too hard► overworked someone who is overworked has too much work to do: · Teachers often complain that they are overworked and underpaid.· I'd been six months without any holiday, and I was tired and overworked. ► overdo it informal to work so hard that you become ill: · The doctor told me to relax and not overdo it.· The President's advisers are worried that he might have been overdoing it lately. ► drive/push yourself too hard to force yourself to work too hard, especially because you want very much to be successful: · You should slow down. You're pushing yourself too hard.· It's no wonder that she had a nervous breakdown -- she's been driving herself too hard for months. ► work/drive yourself into the ground informal to force yourself to work very hard, so that you become extremely tired or ill: · It's good to work hard. But don't drive yourself into the ground.· By the time the great day arrived, I'd worked myself into the ground making sure everything would be just right. to make people work hard► work somebody hard to make someone work hard, especially unreasonably hard: · Sometimes I think that they work us too hard in this office.· The bank's managers admit that they work their employees hard, but on the other hand they pay good wages. ► slave driver informal someone who makes people work too hard: · She's a real slave driver. One of her secretaries had a nervous breakdown last year. Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► worked hard  She has worked hard all her life. ► thought long and hard  He had thought long and hard before getting involved with the project. ► tried her hardest  She tried her hardest to ignore what he’d said. COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► hard bargaining  The 4% pay raise was the result of some hard bargaining. ► a tough/hard battle · He faces a tough battle to prove his innocence. ► be hard to bear · The situation was very hard to bear. ► bit ... hard  Nina pushed her fist into her mouth and bit down hard. ► blowing hard  A cold breeze was blowing hard. ► brake sharply/hard (=brake quickly) He braked sharply to avoid the dog. ► breathe heavily/hard (=breathe loudly especially after exercise)· He’d been running and he was breathing hard. ► a hard chair (=not comfortable)· I sat on a hard chair in the corridor and waited. ► hard cheese · Use a hard cheese such as Cheddar for grating. ► hard to come by  Jobs were hard to come by. ► come down hard on  We need to come down hard on young offenders. ► it is difficult/hard to cope · We were finding it difficult to cope financially. ► a hard/soft cover · I never buy books in hard cover – they’re much more expensive. ► cracking down hard  The police are cracking down hard on violent crime. ► difficult/hard/impossible etc to credit  We found his statement hard to credit. ► a hard/strong currency (=currency from a country with a strong economy)· They accept American dollars and other hard currencies. ► a hard day (=difficult and tiring)· Sit down – you look as though you’ve had a hard day. ► a difficult/hard/tough decision · In the end I took the difficult decision to retire early. ► hard/floppy/A etc drive ► hard drugs (also class A drugs British English) (=strong drugs such as heroin, cocaine etc)· He was in prison for dealing hard drugs. ► hard earth · It hadn’t rained for weeks and the earth was hard. ► hard evidence (=very clear evidence which proves that something is true)· They have no hard evidence to support their claim. ► it is difficult/hard/impossible to exaggerate something (=used to say that something cannot be made to seem more important etc than it already is)· It is difficult to exaggerate the strength of people’s feelings on this matter. ► hard/strenuous/vigorous exercise (=involving a lot of physical effort)· Pregnant women should avoid strenuous exercise. ► hard facts (=information that is definitely true and can be proven)· His theory is supported by hard facts. ► it is hard/difficult to fault somebody/something  You might not like O'Donnel’s arrogance, but it’s hard to fault what he does on the field. ► find it hard/easy/difficult etc (to do something)  Hyperactive children find it difficult to concentrate. ► easy/difficult/hard etc to follow  The plot is a little difficult to follow. ► a hard/heavy frost (=a severe frost)· We’ve had three continuous nights of hard frost. ► hard/rough/slow etc going  I’m getting the work done, but it’s slow going. ► hard graft  Our success has been due to sheer hard graft. ► difficult/hard/easy etc to guess  It’s hard to guess his age because he dyes his hair. ► hard-and-fast rules  It is impossible to give hard-and-fast rules, but here are some points to consider. ► hard-earned money/cash etc  Don’t be too quick to part with your hard-earned cash. ► a hard-fought battle/contest/game etc  one of the most hard-fought games this season a hard-fought battle for the presidency ► be hard of hearing (=not be able to hear well)· The subtitling service is intended for people who are hard of hearing. ► a cold/hard heart (=used about someone who does not feel sympathy for other people)· It takes a hard heart not to be moved by these images of suffering. ► Hit ... hard  Hit the ball as hard as you can. ► be badly/severely/hard hit  The company has been hard hit by the drop in consumer confidence. ► be hard/difficult to imagine · It’s hard to imagine the suffering she must have gone through. ► be difficult/hard to judge · The economic results of the reforms are difficult to judge. ► a hard kick · A hard kick to the knee could cause a lot of damage. ► take a tough/firm/hard line on something  The school takes a very tough line on drugs. ► listen carefully/intently/hard etc  The whole class was listening attentively. Liz stood still and listened hard (=very carefully). ► long hard look  This month, take a long hard look (=examine very carefully) at where your money is going. ► firm/soft/hard etc mattress  an old, lumpy mattress ► hard muscles (=strong, firm muscles)· the hard muscles of his back and shoulders ► it is hard/difficult to overestimate something (=used to emphasize that something is very important)· It is hard to overestimate the effect the war has had on these children. ► the hard/easy part · Deciding what you’re going to cook is the easy part. ► hard/difficult to pin down  The flavour was hard to pin down. ► be hard/easy/impossible etc to please  She’s hard to please. Everything has to be perfect. ► a hard/powerful punch · My stomach took a couple of hard punches. ► push ... hard  Encourage your kids to try new things, but try not to push them too hard. ► pushing hard  He was pushing hard for welfare reform. ► difficult/hard question · Some of the questions in the last section were very difficult. ► tough/hard race · He said he expected the race to be tough. ► it rains heavily/hard (=a lot of water comes down)· It was raining heavily when we arrived in New York. ► hard/difficult to resist · The temptation to follow them was hard to resist. ► hard slog  months of hard slog ► hard slog  a long hard slog uphill ► stare hard/intently (=very steadily, with a lot of attention)· She stared hard at him for a moment. ► a hard stare (=very steady, with a lot of attention)· As he passed, he gave us a hard stare. ► hard/difficult to stomach  Rob found Cathy’s attitude hard to stomach. ► hard surface · The path has a hard surface suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. ► swallowed hard  Leo swallowed hard and walked into the room. ► hard to swallow  I found his story a bit hard to swallow (=difficult to believe). ► hard to take  Liz found his criticisms hard to take. ► hard think (=with a lot of mental effort)· I bet, if you think really hard, you can think of something to do. ► long and hard (=hard, for a long time, before making a decision)· I thought long and hard about taking the role. ► hard thinking · Over the next two days a lot of hard thinking went into the campaign. ► a dull/hard/heavy thud  There was a dull thud as the box hit the floor. ► hard try · She was trying hard not to show her impatience. ► try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)· Try your best to block out other distractions. ► hard water (=containing a lot of calcium)· Hard water is formed as rainwater passes down through layers of limestone. ► severe/hard/harsh winter (=very cold)· In a hard winter, many birds starve. ► a hard/soft wood · Oak is a hard wood. ► work ... hard  I’m going to have to work really hard to pass these exams. ► working hard  The company is working hard to improve its image. ► hard work · It’s been very hard work, but I’ve loved every moment of it. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB► bite · Lily put her fist in her mouth and bit hard on her fingers.· She twisted her mouth in a cry of sheer ecstasy and bit hard on her lip.· Her teeth bit hard into her lower lip.· The boy smiled faintly, and then bit hard on his lips and gnawed the smile away. ► brake · Doyle swerved, running the car on to the right hand verge, and braked hard.· Clayt braked hard, pulled off and cut the engine.· But he might still have been able to stop in time if he'd braked hard enough.· Desperate not to have to overtake, he'd braked hard and had felt the car shimmy dangerously.· He braked hard to a halt outside the Co-op in Newtown, just as Billy and Mary turned the comer.· Streuer had to brake hard, and on purpose he just nudged my backside with the front of his bike.· He braked hard and managed to stop before impact, but the woman fell on to the road in front of his car.· He almost missed the turning off the taxiway to the runway and had to brake hard at the last minute. ► breathe · Lachy sat down on the pillow at the head of the bed, breathing hard.· Lincoln jumped up and down, breathing hard.· The horror receded as she came back to reality, breathing hard, glad of her cream duvet and calm hotel surroundings.· He looked, breathing hard still, at Oliver.· He was breathing hard, and Joe thought he was even sweating.· Ezra stepped then stopped, breathing hard.· He stared at her for a second in stunned silence, breathing hard, his eyes dazed. ► fight · Belfast was one which fought hard and played great football.· For years we fought hard against the police attitude not to treat this as a crime.· I hoped to keep one of them alive for questioning, but they fought hard.· The president fought hard for the plan, and saw it through Congress by mid-March.· Cnut's men had fought hard, and doubtless expected to be remunerated accordingly.· I fought hard for the right to be right.· She fought hard to get him a part-time playgroup place in the group his older brother attended.· She was fighting hard not to be unpleasant. ► hit · But the high interest rate policy and squeeze on retailers hit hard.· I hit hard at the inadequacies in housing in the city.· Firms and institutions which are otherwise financially sound could be hard hit by a protracted run of debt defaults.· Hideo Nomo, who was hit hard in his last start, is scheduled to start again Monday against the Florida Marlins.· Ray Gasson's herd of 250 could have been hard hit.· Among the other vegetables hit hard were cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet corn.· If a ban is approved, the famous Beaufort hunt will be hard hit.· But then the booze started hitting hard, and I got really scared. ► listen · We are listening hard to its recommendations and we take seriously the points that it makes to us.· Maybe an illness, he thought, listening hard.· Now, when Tallis listened hard, she could hear a drum being beaten as a warning.· He listened hard, shook his head.· On the way, Endill listened hard in case the Headmaster was wandering about.· No, the White House has been listening hard to how people think things look, and devising plans to fit.· He pressed his ear against the receiver and listened hard. ► look · Though still handsome, he looked hard, ruthless, and twice as dangerous as Isabel remembered.· I looked hard at the target and raised the gun, stared at the target, closed my eyes, and fired.· Consequently she looked hard for work away from Marlott.· Connors looked hard at the gun, but said nothing.· Even a Patel, probably a Bhatt if I looked hard enough.· We have again looked hard at our working practices and cost base and have made substantial changes.· He looked hard at the outline of the body under the rug. ► play · Work hard but play hard, too-you deserve to celebrate.· All he wants to do is play hard.· Apparently all 22 players could read, and they all realized that they needn't bother to play hard any more.· Most of all, they have to continue working and playing hard.· The Cougars played hard, but not always smart.· We just have to go out and play hard every night.· This is what she likes to see: good, hard playing, everyone working the floor, tough defense.· Westphal had two rules: be on time and play hard, and the first rule was flexible. ► press · The new strike partnership of Saunders and substitute Dwight Yorke failed to make an immediate impression as Ipswich pressed hard.· You will be hard pressed to choose a single main course because so many are mouth-watering.· These expectations were nurtured by the adversarial nature of electoral competition and they pressed hard on to government.· They point to long-term costs that even a thriving enterprise would be hard pressed to minimize or absorb.· The statue was unreasonably heavy, pressing hard against him.· The Dwarfs were hard pressed at first, but eventually saw the Orcs off with the help of their formidable cannons.· He was pressing hard on the button and standing patiently for the door to open.· One is hard pressed even to find them in London. ► push · They responded by pushing hard into corporate finance, seeking to use shareholdings as a door-opener.· However, Thompson questioned whether the administration will push hard if resistance stiffens.· Brian was pushed hard against the side of a car parked in the far corner of the bar's car park.· I fell back, like a person pushed hard.· Missing are neighborhood and business associations: two groups that pushed hard during the former administration for a crackdown on nuisance crimes.· Big agricultural businesses, primarily in California, pushed hard for the temporary workers.· Each pushed hard against the other. ► put · Commentators were hard put to find words to describe the ceremonial splendor of the final event.· Nevertheless, an ordinary person might be hard put to tell one from the other.· Governments will then be hard put to get it on to their national statute books by mid-1993.· Without this map we'd be hard put to find our way.· Yet had she been asked what that destination was she would have been hard put to it to answer.· Now we were hard put to find a grubby corner of the upper dock in which to berth Venturous.· Many modern offerings are hard put to please the eye quite so much. ► stare · They were both staring hard at me.· I felt something akin to the tender hatred one can sense when staring hard at a photograph of oneself.· He stared hard at pictures held out to him, trying to decipher their language.· Red is staring hard at Jody.· She stared hard at the black curly hairs on the neck of the man she'd married nine years before.· As he put on his coat, he stared hard at Nancy, frowning a little. ► swallow · Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard, shuddering violently.· I flushed, swallowed hard, struggled to keep from crying, struggled not to be overwhelmed by my fear of falling.· He swallowed hard once or twice.· Occasionally he would grimace and swallow hard, his lips going tight.· She swallowed hard, then stretched out her hand and took it.· Cantor momentarily closed his eyes and swallowed hard.· Unbearably affected, she swallowed hard.· She swallowed hard and pulled faces. ► think · I was thinking hard about why Prince pleasured me.· Too worried to eat, I sat there thinking hard about my situation.· Of course I didn't go and see Father Courtney without thinking hard about our relationship.· I sat still, sipping slowly and thinking hard.· I could see they had thought hard about this.· Now the Walker Cup match is over, certain players should think hard before chasing a mirage.· I know it's harrowing for you, but think hard.· She stared at the letter again, thinking hard, despairing. ► try · Starting in 1967, we tried hard to whip up interest in the robots among potential customers, but with little success.· At halftime, Oregon is up by twelve points, and Jody is trying hard not to let her emotions show.· The Bishop tried hard to express his grateful thanks.· She tried hard to look composed, but it was more difficult than she could have imagined.· He tried hard not to admire or approve of the heroine, tried to imagine that life was not like that really.· Mr Forsyth said that the tenants' association had tried hard to improve the quality of life for all concerned.· They took great care and were concentrating on a small area, trying hard not to tread on the bones.· Churt tried hard to come back and Paul Jones in the Haslemere goal had to make one particularly fine diving save. ► win · Chocolate is a multimillion pound industry, and each hard won market segment is jealously guarded by the giant global manufacturers.· It was a time when the nation sought unity and the democracy so hard won in the Revolution.· These achievements were hard won and preserving them will be a struggle. ► work · He remains convinced that it is imperative to work hard on his swing.· The men worked hard in the stockyards, nearby factories, breweries, and construction sites.· Work hard, stay poor; that is the message of money.· He encountered two State Department officials working hard in Athens.· Both Maid Marian and Holy War are very clean engines and little smoke can be seen even when working hard.· Instead, they must work hard throughout the period of change until they have integrated new behaviors into daily routines.· The visual memory is being worked hard here; the child has to carry strings of words, related by meaning.· I worked hard for my education. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► take something hard Dad didn't say much, but I could tell he took it hard. ► hard upon/on something► laugh/cry hard Suddenly, he came inside crying hard. ► be hard hit/be hit hard► be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something Aunt Edie was in such a rage about it that she was hard put to contain herself. Governments will then be hard put to get it on to their national statute books by mid-1993. I can assure you that any busybody would be hard put to it to prove maltreatment! Leinster will be hard pushed to keep the score within the respectable margins of defeat set by their predecessors. Once an apology is given, the defendant will be hard put to contest liability later. The slave's side ... and even Miss Phoebe would be hard put to understand. With his height and features, he was hard put to pass as a native. You will be hard pressed to choose a single main course because so many are mouth-watering. ► be/feel hard done by Having played in the previous winning Eisenhower Trophy team with distinction I think he can feel hard done by. The idea of a passenger going without pudding and then leaving the aircraft feeling hard done by troubles them. Thomas felt hard done by, contested the will and lost. To any readers who feel hard done by or annoyed please accept my sincere apologies. You've every right to feel hard done by, so don't start thinking that you're being selfish. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a hard/tough etc act to follow Clearly Amelia was a hard act to follow. Colm Toibin's piece will be a hard act to follow but I suspect you are up to it. I know that she will be a tough act to follow. It was a hard act to follow, but the poor did what they could to provide respectable funerals for their dead. John's is, of course, a hard act to follow. The new model has a tough act to follow. You've certainly set us a hard act to follow! ► it’s difficult/hard to believe (that) Female speaker It's hard to believe it's happened. It's hard to believe another child could do such a thing. It's hard to believe just how dire it is. It's hard to believe Marie's got a husband. It's hard to believe now but I actually made do with hooks for a while! It's hard to believe that he started painting in World War Two and is still painting today. It's hard to believe, but we're fast approaching the dessert hour. The ideological points are still there but it's hard to believe that totalitarian regimentation could be so tight. ► cold (hard) cash After a year, the igloo-shaped stadium has cost the citizens $ 20 million in very cold cash. Luckily, the chatter of cold hard cash later persuaded the state to sell the name to the highest bidder. No cold cash in the Nugent icebox, however, so I moved on. The other driving force is cold cash and order books. ► a darn sight better/harder etc► old habits/traditions/customs die hard But old habits die hard, and Apple has shown a proclivity to chase market share while hand-wringing over shrinking gross margins. It was probably unnecessary, she thought, but old habits died hard. Perhaps because it's an island old customs die hard here. Things were going well, but old habits die hard. This is an area where old customs die hard. ► bad/difficult/hard etc enough Even a Patel, probably a Bhatt if I looked hard enough. It's bad enough trying to fly with unequal line lengths; having an asymmetric kite can be most frustrating! She identified the problem not as trying too hard to live up to a domestic ideal but as not trying hard enough. Since the cold war ended in 1988, they have worked hard enough to produce some kind of an economic miracle. That was going to be difficult enough anyway. The ties with the past difficult enough to sever already. This would be bad enough if California prisons were full of nothing but Charles Mansons. ► fall on hard/bad times At 21 she is set for stardom, but she still finds time for people who have fallen on hard times. Even by political standards, Gingrich very quickly fell on hard times. I assumed that if a person fell on hard times some one else in the wider family would rescue them. Interestingly, though, the bottom 10 includes many household names fallen on hard times. The Cambridge University Automobile Club had clearly fallen on hard times, too. The model cities program fell on hard times soon after it began. With the outbreak of war, the shop fell on harder times. Worse, because of Jack the father has fallen on hard times and must meet all kinds of debts. ► be a hard act to follow Clearly Amelia was a hard act to follow. Colm Toibin's piece will be a hard act to follow but I suspect you are up to it. It was a hard act to follow, but the poor did what they could to provide respectable funerals for their dead. Judith will be a hard act to follow. ► old habits die hard But old habits die hard, and Apple has shown a proclivity to chase market share while hand-wringing over shrinking gross margins. It was probably unnecessary, she thought, but old habits died hard. Things were going well, but old habits die hard. ► hard-boiled film/thriller/fiction etc► hard-core pornography► the hard of hearing► (hard/hot/close) on the heels of something Critique followed hot on the heels of this pioneering work. On the heels of this came Mr J. to tell us that young Mrs P. had had her thighbone crushed. Then it seemed that the consummation would follow soon on the heels of its inauguration. With another couple of laps he might have finished close on the heels of the two Dunlops. ► (hard/hot/close) on somebody’s heels► learn (something) the hard way I learned the hard way that drugs weren't an answer to my problems. But, as Server shows us, he learned apathy the hard way. Early on he learned - the hard way - that it was the passport to success. He learned this the hard way, when he tried to move his head. I learned that the hard way, by losing a couple of first drafts of articles I was writing. I learned this the hard way. Mainline medicine learned this the hard way when it first started to use anesthetics. She had learned it the hard way and she never let her guard slip at all. The Lisa designers also learned this the hard way, and their computer shipped with 1024K, or a megabyte of memory. ► bad/hard/tough luck Can't have that, can we, not on top of all your other hard luck. He felt that this little piece of bad luck might affect his whole day. I kept looking into the mirror and hating my bad luck, but there they were. There were lots of near misses: some great saves from both keepers, and sheer bad luck. Unfortunately, the gents had bad luck. You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before. ► as hard/tough as nails Willie O'Connor is as hard as nails and Liam Simpson takes no prisoners. ► tough/hard nut Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack. Back, now, to the hard nuts. Beverley was a tougher nut to crack. One glance was all it took to realise this was one hard nut to crack - his features still completely impassive. Shearer, a tough nut not inclined to whinge, said his ankle was like a pudding. Tax will be an even tougher nut. West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment. ► a hard/tough nut to crack Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites. Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack. Beverley was a tougher nut to crack. West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment. ► a difficult/hard/good etc one But what is temperament, and how do we define what is a good one? I knew there was no sense in trying to do a better one. Maybe it was a crackpot theory, but it was a good one. Nevertheless, it was always clear that Schmidt's third term in office would prove a difficult one. Payno was gleeful, for his idea was a good one. The belief that hierarchical organizational structure makes for good business is a difficult one to give up. The Berlin Philharmonic as it exists today may be a happier orchestra, but it is in no way a better one. Then I became a lead project manager and, I have to say, I was a good one. ► pack a (hard/hefty/strong etc) punch A wave 10 feet high and 500 feet long can pack a punch of 400,000 pounds per linear foot of its crest. Anne Packer packed a punch with Baked Beans. At last - takeaway sandwiches with flavour that packs a punch! For the first time in a long time, an Eddie Murphy movie packs a punch. The paper is light; it doesn't pack a punch. ► play hard to get You should call her again - I think she's just playing hard to get. And they may not just be playing hard to get. I am not going to suggest that you play hard to get. If it was Viola, she was obviously playing hard to get. It had nothing to do with teasing or playing hard to get. ► be (hard) pushed to do something► be (stuck) between a rock and a hard place► a hard/tough row to hoe Improving schools with little funding is a tough row to hoe. They have a hard row to hoe. ► a hard/tough sell► better/harder/worse etc still And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain. But perhaps the early evening was better still? He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in. I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop. I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still. Or better still, make a real talent show instead. Or better still, there was the village school practically next door! With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains. ► be a hard/stern/tough taskmaster If self-employment is any guide, the dejobbed worker is likely to be a stern taskmaster. She was a hard taskmaster but a considerably fairer one than la Belle Ethel. True to his word, he schooled her in horsemanship and was a hard taskmaster. ► work somebody hard Sometimes I think that they work us too hard in this office. The bank's managers admit that they work their employees hard, but on the other hand they pay good wages. ► make heavy/hard work of something She was making hard work of plucking the goose. You can make hard work of an easy job if you don't know the right way to go. ► a good/hard/quick etc worker He is supposedly not the hardest worker ever. He made Mrs Timms look uninterested in her store, the Reliance Market, and she was a hard worker. He was a good, hard worker. She was known to be very tough and a very hard worker. She was such a hard worker and a wonderful cook. The girl was a good worker who came and went quietly about her business. Word family WORD FAMILYnounhardshiphardnesshardinessadjectivehardhardenedhardyadverbhardhardlyverbharden 1using energy/effort using a lot of effort, energy, or attention:  She has worked hard all her life. He had thought long and hard before getting involved with the project. She tried her hardest to ignore what he’d said. Ella was concentrating very hard. I couldn’t convince him no matter how hard I tried.2with force with a lot of force:  You need to hit the ball hard. He slammed the door hard behind him. It was raining very hard.3become solid becoming solid, stiff, or firm:  By now the cement had set hard.4be hard hit/be hit hard to be badly affected by something that has happened:  Sales were hard hit by high interest rates.5be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something informal to have difficulty doing something:  You’d be hard pressed to find anyone better for the job. → hard-pressed6be/feel hard done by informal to be or feel unfairly treated:  As a child I felt hard done by, living so far away from my friends.7take something hard to be very upset about something, especially bad news:  Alan took his mother’s death particularly hard.8hard upon/on something British English formal soon after something:  His second major contract followed hard upon the first.9laugh/cry hard to laugh, cry etc a lot → hard by, hard up, → (hard/hot/close) on somebody’s heels at heel1, → (hard/hot/close) on the heels of something at heel1, → play hard to get at play1(23)
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