► 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.