Word forms: comparative harder, superlative hardest
1. adjective
Something that is hard is very firm and stiff to touch and is not easily bent, cut, or broken.
He shuffled his feet on the hard wooden floor.
Something cold and hard pressed into the back of his neck.
Synonyms: tough, strong, firm, solid More Synonyms of hard
hardnessuncountable noun [oft with poss]
He felt the hardness of the iron railing press against his spine. [+ of]
Synonyms: severity, toughness, callousness, strictness More Synonyms of hard
Synonyms: firmness, toughness, rigidity, stiffness More Synonyms of hard
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE to-infinitive]
Something that is hard is very difficult to do or deal with.
It's hard to tell what effect this latest move will have.
She found it hard to accept some of the criticisms directed towards her and her work.
Our traveller's behaviour on the journey is hard to explain.
That's a very hard question.
Synonyms: difficult, involved, complex, complicated More Synonyms of hard
3. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you work hard doing something, you are very active or work intensely, with a lot of effort.
I'll work hard. I don't want to let him down.
Am I trying too hard?
Synonyms: strenuously, steadily, persistently, earnestly More Synonyms of hard
Hard is also an adjective.
I admired him as a true scientist and hard worker.
4. adjective
Hard work involves a lot of activity and effort.
Coping with three babies is very hard work.
...a hard day's work.
Their work is hard and unglamorous, and most people would find it boring.
Synonyms: exhausting, tough, exacting, formidable More Synonyms of hard
5. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you look, listen, or think hard, you do it carefully and with a great deal of attention.
He looked at me hard.
You had to listen hard to hear the old man breathe.
People are having to think hard about their holiday plans.
Synonyms: intently, closely, carefully, sharply More Synonyms of hard
Hard is also an adjective.
It might be worth taking a long hard look at your frustrations and resentments.
6. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you strike or take hold of something hard, you strike or take hold of it with a lot of force.
I kicked a dustbin very hard and broke my toe.
Synonyms: forcefully, strongly, heavily, sharply More Synonyms of hard
Hard is also an adjective.
He gave her a hard push which toppled her backwards into an armchair.
7. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
You can use hard to indicate that something happens intensely and for a long time.
I've never seen Terry laugh so hard.
It was snowing hard by then.
8. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If a person or their expression is hard, they show no kindness or sympathy.
His father was a hard man.
Kate realized that the previous hard look on Maggie's face had been a mask.
Synonyms: harsh, severe, strict, cold More Synonyms of hard
9. adjective
If you are hard on someone, you treat them severely or unkindly.
Don't be so hard on him. [+ on]
Hard is also an adverb.
He said the security forces would continue to crack down hard on the protestors.
10. adjective
If you say that something is hard on a person or thing, you mean it affects them in a way that is likely to cause them damage or suffering.
The grey light was hard on the eyes. [+ on]
These last four years have been hard on them. [+ on]
11. adjective
If you have a hard life or a hard period of time, your life or that period is difficult and unpleasant for you.
It had been a hard life for her.
Those were hard times.
Synonyms: grim, dark, painful, distressing More Synonyms of hard
hardnessuncountable noun
In America, people don't normally admit to the hardness of life. [+ of]
Synonyms: severity, toughness, callousness, strictness More Synonyms of hard
Synonyms: firmness, toughness, rigidity, stiffness More Synonyms of hard
12. graded adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A hard winter or a hard frost is a very cold one.
...a prolonged period of hard frost.
I am expecting a long, hard winter.
13. graded adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Hard colours or sounds are harsh or bright and unpleasant to see or hear.
The sea was a hard blue.
14. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Hard evidence or facts are definitely true and do not need to be questioned.
He wanted more hard evidence.
There are probably fewer hard facts about the life of Henry Purcell than that ofany other great composer since the Renaissance.
Synonyms: definite, reliable, verified, cold More Synonyms of hard
15. adjective
Hard water contains a lot of calcium compounds that stop soap making bubbles and sometimes appear as a deposit in kettles and baths.
16. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Hard drugs are very strong illegal drugs such as heroin or cocaine.
17. adjective
In phonetics, a hard sound is one such as 'c' or 'g' as pronounced in the words 'cat' or 'give', and notas in the words 'cinema' or 'general'.
18.
See hard by sth
19.
See hard done by
20.
See be hard going
21.
See be hard hit
22.
See to play hard to get
23.
See be hard put/pushed to do sth
24.
See take sth hard
More Synonyms of hard
hard in British English
(hɑːd)
adjective
1.
firm or rigid; not easily dented, crushed, or pierced
2.
toughened by or as if by physical labour; not soft or smooth
hard hands
3.
difficult to do or accomplish; arduous
a hard task
4.
difficult to understand or perceive
a hard question
5.
showing or requiring considerable physical or mental energy, effort, or application
hard work
a hard drinker
6.
stern, cold, or intractable
a hard judge
7.
exacting; demanding
a hard master
8.
harsh; cruel
a hard fate
9.
inflicting pain, sorrow, distress, or hardship
hard times
10.
tough or adamant
a hard man
11.
forceful or violent
a hard knock
12.
cool or uncompromising
we took a long hard look at our profit factor
13.
indisputable; real
hard facts
14. chemistry
(of water) impairing the formation of a lather by soap
hardness (sense 3)
15.
practical, shrewd, or calculating
he is a hard man in business
16.
too harsh to be pleasant
hard light
17.
a.
(of cash, money, etc) in coin and paper rather than cheques
b.
(of currency) in strong demand, esp as a result of a good balance of payments situation
c.
(of credit) difficult to obtain; tight
18.
(of alcoholic drink) being a spirit rather than a wine, beer, etc
the hard stuff
19.
(of a drug such as heroin, morphine, or cocaine) highly addictive
Compare soft (sense 20)
20. physics
(of radiation, such as gamma rays and X-rays) having high energy and the ability to penetrate solids
21. physics
(of a vacuum) almost complete
22. mainly US
(of goods) durable
23.
short for hard-core
hard core (sense 3), hard core (sense 4)
24.
(of news coverage) concentrating on serious stories
25. phonetics
a. an older word for fortis
b.
(not in modern technical usage) denoting the consonants c and g in English when they are pronounced as velar stops (k, g)
c.
(of consonants in the Slavonic languages) not palatalized
26.
a.
being heavily fortified and protected
b.
(of nuclear missiles) located underground in massively reinforced silos
27.
politically extreme
the hard left
28. British and New Zealand informal
incorrigible or disreputable (esp in the phrase a hard case)
29.
(of bread, etc) stale and old
30. a hard nut to crack
31. hard by
32. hard doer
33. hard done by
34. hard up
35. put the hard word on
adverb
36.
with great energy, force, or vigour
the team always played hard
37.
as far as possible; all the way
hard left
38.
with application; earnestly or intently
she thought hard about the formula
39.
with great intensity, force, or violence
his son's death hit him hard
40. (foll byon, upon, by, or after)
close; near
hard on his heels
41. (foll by at)
assiduously; devotedly
42.
a.
with effort or difficulty
their victory was hard won
b.
(in combination)
hard-earned
43.
slowly and reluctantly
prejudice dies hard
44. go hard with
45. hard at it
46. hard put
noun
47.
any colorant that produces a harsh coarse appearance
48. British
a roadway across a foreshore
49. slang
hard labour
50. vulgar, slang
an erection of the penis (esp in the phrase get or have a hard on)
Word origin
Old English heard; related to Old Norse harthr, Old Frisian herd, Old High German herti, Gothic hardus hard, Greek kratus strong
hard in American English
(hɑrd)
adjective
1.
not easily dented, pierced, cut, or crushed; resistant to pressure; firm and unyielding to the touch; rigid; solid and compact
2.
having firm muscles; in good bodily trim; vigorous and robust
3.
showing, or done with, great force or strength; powerful; violent; vigorous
a hard blow
4.
demanding great physical or mental effort or labor; fatiguing; difficult
; specif.,
a.
difficult to do
hard work
b.
difficult to understand, explain, or answer
a hard question
c.
difficult to deal with; not easily managed or controlled
a man hard to live with
d.
firmly fastened or tied
a hard knot
5.
a.
not easily moved; unfeeling; callous
a hard heart
b.
unfriendly; hostile
hard feelings
6.
practical and shrewd or calculating
a hard customer
7.
a.
firm or definite, esp. in an aggressive way
a hard line in foreign policy
b.
undeniable, reliable, or actual
hard facts
c.
consisting of the basic facts about major events, as opposed to presenting featurestories, opinion, etc.
hard news
8.
causing pain or discomfort
; specif.,
a.
difficult to endure; trying; exhausting
a hard life
b.
harsh; severe; stern
a hard master, hard words
9.
very cold, stormy, etc.; inclement
a hard winter
10.
a.
harsh, stiff, and wiry
said of fibers or cotton
b.
having no nap
said of a finish for fabric
c.
having a texture that is firm, dense, wiry, etc.
a dog with a hard coat
11.
a.
clearly defined or having sharp contrast; distinct
hard outlines
b.
too clear, bright, or penetrating to be pleasant
a hard light
12.
having in solution mineral salts that interfere with the lathering and cleansing properties of soap, corrode metals, etc.
said of water
13.
energetic and persistent; steady and earnest
a hard worker
14.
a.
fermented; alcoholic
hard cider
b.
containing a relatively high percentage of alcohol; strong
hard liquor
15.
a.
of metal, not paper
b.
of currency or coin, not credit
said of money
16.
a.
that can be exchanged for gold or silver
b.
that is readily accepted as foreign exchange
said of certain currencies
17. Phonetics
a.
designating c sounded as in can or g sounded as in gun
a hard g
b.
voiceless, as the sound of s in sin
c.
not palatalized
said as of certain consonants in Slavic languages
; not used in these ways as a technical term by phoneticians
18. Agriculture
high in gluten content
hard wheat
19. Chemistry
not easily biodegradable
said of detergents and pesticides
20. Business
high and stable
said of a market, prices, etc.
21. Military
heavily fortified
said as of an underground installation
a hard base
22. Radiology
of high penetrating power
said of X-rays
adverb
23.
energetically and persistently; steadily and earnestly
work hard
24.
with strength, violence, or severity
hit hard
25.
with difficulty
often used in hyphenated compounds
hard-earned, hard-sought
26.
so as to withstand much wear, use, etc.
hard-wearing clothes
27.
deeply; fully; soundly
sleep hard
28.
firmly; tightly
hold on hard
29.
close; near
we live hard by the woods
30.
so as to be or make firm, solid, or rigid
to freeze hard
31.
with vigor and to the fullest extent
used esp. in indicating direction
hard alee! turn hard right
SIMILAR WORDS: firm
Idioms:
be hard on
hard and fast
hard of hearing
hard put (to it)
hard up
SYNONYMY NOTE: hard, in this comparison, is the simple and general word for whatever demands great physicalor mental effort [hard work, a hard problem]; difficult applies especially to that which requires great skill, intelligence, tact, etc. ratherthan physical labor [a difficult situation]; arduous implies the need for diligent, protracted effort [the arduous fight ahead of us]; laborious suggests long, wearisome toil [the laborious task of picking fruit]
OPPOSITES: easy, simple
Word origin
ME < OE heard, akin to Ger hart < IE base *kar-, hard > Gr karyon, nut, kratos, strength
More idioms containing
hard
hard on someone's heels
hard on the heels of something
play hard to get
hard done by
hard as nails
old habits die hard
a hard act to follow
between a rock and a hard place
the school of hard knocks
Examples of 'hard' in a sentence
hard
Yet the people are hard judges too.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The gun metal is cold and hard.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Her father was an artist who did years of hard labour for mild criticisms of party policy.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
We worked really hard this week in preparing for this game.
The Sun (2016)
Think long and hard about what you really want.
The Sun (2016)
He was also kicked so hard his scooter almost tipped over.
The Sun (2016)
Now they face the much harder task of deciding what do to about it.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's important now to work hard and build something of importance.
The Sun (2016)
He said: 'It was a hard time.
The Sun (2016)
We have tried very hard to listen to them.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Things that are hard have more life at their heart than things that are easy.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Those people are going to be hit really hard.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The effect of these pressures is there to see if you look hard enough.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Some people have a hard time seeing me doing serious things.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You need to work hard and not give up.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Their season will be long and hard.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We decided three months ago this would be it and the hardest part was telling the owners.
The Sun (2016)
Worked hard to get team going in the second half.
The Sun (2011)
We need time to work hard but also time to play.
Christianity Today (2000)
The test is much harder than it used to be.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You must have been uncommonly hard up for something to do.
Edith Wharton The House of Mirth (1905)
Once exposed to this music it made radio a lot harder to listen to.
The Sun (2011)
You have to put hard work in to be successful.
The Sun (2012)
You always have to work hard for laughs.
Chris Gidney CELEBRATING SECOMBE: A Tribute to Sir Harry Secombe (2002)
These top stars work really hard these days and they make life really hard for you.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Work hard during the day and you can party equally hard tonight.
The Sun (2016)
He was sentenced to eight years of hard labour.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
If it is very hard it is difficult to know which tools to recommend for all this.
Kitto, Dick Planning the Organic Vegetable Garden (1986)
The discrepancy between what we are seeing and what we are hearing forces one to listen harder.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The last three months have been the hardest of my life.
The Sun (2011)
London and the southeast have been hardest hit.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Look hard and you can almost see the pages moving.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You think these people can be swayed by cold, hard sense about economics?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
hard
British English: hard /hɑːd/ ADJECTIVE
difficult If something is hard, you have to try a lot to do it or to understand it.
These sums are quite hard.
American English: hard difficult
Arabic: صَعْب
Brazilian Portuguese: difícil
Chinese: 困难的
Croatian: težak
Czech: těžký obtížný
Danish: svær
Dutch: moeilijk
European Spanish: difícil
Finnish: vaikea
French: dur difficile
German: schwierig
Greek: δυσχερής
Italian: difficile
Japanese: 困難な difficult
Korean: 어려운
Norwegian: vanskelig
Polish: trudny
European Portuguese: difícil
Romanian: dificil
Russian: сложный
Latin American Spanish: difícil
Swedish: svår
Thai: ยาก
Turkish: zor
Ukrainian: складний
Vietnamese: khó khăn
British English: hard /hɑːd/ ADJECTIVE
solid Something that is hard is solid, and it is not easy to bend it or break it.
The glass broke on the hard floor.
American English: hard firm, rigid
Arabic: صُلْب
Brazilian Portuguese: duro
Chinese: 硬的
Croatian: tvrd
Czech: tvrdý
Danish: hård
Dutch: hard
European Spanish: duro
Finnish: kova
French: dur rigide
German: hart
Greek: σκληρός
Italian: duro
Japanese: 堅い firm, rigid
Korean: 단단한
Norwegian: hard
Polish: twardy
European Portuguese: duro
Romanian: tare
Russian: твердый
Latin American Spanish: duro
Swedish: hård
Thai: แข็ง
Turkish: sert
Ukrainian: твердий
Vietnamese: cứng
British English: hard /hɑːd/ ADVERB
If you work hard, you work with a lot of effort.
I'll work hard. I don't want to let him down.
American English: hard
Arabic: بِقُوَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: duramente
Chinese: 努力地
Croatian: marljivo
Czech: tvrdě
Danish: hårdt
Dutch: hard
European Spanish: con fuerza
Finnish: kovasti
French: durement
German: schwer
Greek: σκληρά
Italian: duramente
Japanese: 懸命に
Korean: 열심히
Norwegian: hardt
Polish: ciężko
European Portuguese: duramente
Romanian: dificil
Russian: усердно
Latin American Spanish: con fuerza
Swedish: hårt
Thai: ทำงานหนัก
Turkish: güç zor
Ukrainian: важко
Vietnamese: chăm chỉ
All related terms of 'hard'
go hard
to cause trouble or unhappiness (to)
hard by
near; close by
hard-on
an erection of the penis
hard up
If you are hard up , you have very little money.
die hard
If you say that habits or attitudes die hard , you mean that they take a very long time to disappear or change, so that it may not be possible to get rid of them completely.
hard-ass
someone who is tough and uncompromising
hard bop
a form of jazz originating in the late 1950s that is rhythmically less complex than bop
hard card
a card or device which fits into a computer's expansion slot , with the purpose of increasing memory , graphics capacity , etc
hard case
a tough person not swayed by sentiment
hard cash
Hard cash is money in the form of notes and coins as opposed to a cheque or a credit card .
hard coal
→ anthracite
hard copy
A hard copy of a document is a printed version of it, rather than a version that is stored on a computer.
hard core
Hard core consists of pieces of broken stone that are used as a base on which to build roads.
hard disk
A computer's hard disk is a stiff magnetic disk on which data and programs can be stored.
hard doer
a tough worker at anything
hard drug
a strong, usually illegal , drug which is likely to cause addiction
hard-edge
of, relating to, or denoting a style of painting in which vividly coloured subjects are clearly delineated
hard fern
a common tufted erect fern of the polypody family, Blechnum spicant, having dark-green lanceolate leaves: it prefers acid soils , and in the US is sometimes grown as deer feed
hard hat
A hard hat is a hat made from a hard material, which people wear to protect their heads on building sites or in factories , or when riding a horse .
hard head
semirefined tin containing iron
hard-hit
seriously affected or hurt
hard left
You use hard left to describe those members of a left wing political group or party who have the most extreme political beliefs .
hard lens
a rigid plastic lens which floats on the layer of tears in front of the cornea , worn to correct defects of vision
hard line
an uncompromising course or policy
hard loan
a foreign loan which is to be paid back in an agreed currency which has stability and economic strength
hard luck
If you say that someone had some hard luck , or that a situation was hard luck on them, you mean that something bad happened to them and you are implying that it was not their fault .
hard neck
audacity; nerve
hard news
serious news of widespread import , concerning politics , foreign affairs , or the like, as distinguished from routine news items, feature stories , or human-interest stories
hard pad
(in dogs ) an abnormal increase in the thickness of the foot pads : one of the clinical signs of canine distemper
hard porn
Hard porn is pornography that shows sex in a detailed way, often violent or extreme sex.
hard put
scarcely having the capacity (to do something)
hard race
A race is a competition to see who is the fastest , for example in running , swimming , or driving.
hard road
The road to a particular result is the means of achieving it or the process of achieving it.
hard rock
a rhythmically simple and usually highly amplified style of rock and roll
hard roe
the ovary of a female fish filled with mature eggs
hard sell
A hard sell is a method of selling in which the salesperson puts a lot of pressure on someone to make them buy something.
hard-set
plagued by difficulties
hard-spun
(of yarn ) spun with a firm close twist
hard tack
whisky
hard tick
any of various small parasitic arachnids of the family Ixodidae , typically living on the skin of warm-blooded animals and feeding on the blood and tissues of their hosts : order Acarina ( mites and ticks )
hard time
You use time or times to talk about a particular period in history or in your life.
hard top
A hard top is a vehicle that has a permanent rigid roof .
hard way
If you refer to a way of doing something, you are referring to how you can do it, for example the action you can take or the method you can use to achieve it.
hard-won
If you describe something that someone has gained or achieved as hard-won , you mean that they worked hard to gain or achieve it.
rock-hard
Something that is rock-hard is very hard indeed.
hard-assed
tough and uncompromising
hard-bitten
If you describe someone as hard-bitten , you are critical of them because they do not show much emotion or have much sympathy for other people, usually because they have experienced many unpleasant things.
hard-boiled
A hard-boiled egg has been boiled in its shell until the whole of the inside is solid.
hard border
a border between countries that is strictly controlled by officials, police , or the military
hard-bound
→ hardcover
Chinese translation of 'hard'
hard
(hɑːd)
adj
(= not soft)[surface, object]硬的 (yìng de)
⇒ the hard wooden floor硬木地板 (yìngmù dìbǎn)
(= not easy)[question, problem]困难(難)的 (kùnnan de)
⇒ That is a very hard question to answer.那个问题很难回答。 (Nàge wèntí hěnnán huídá.)
[work]费(費)力的 (fèilì de)
⇒ Their work is hard and dangerous.他们的工作既费力又危险。 (Tāmen de gōngzuò jì fèilì yòu wēixiǎn.)
[life, time]艰(艱)辛的 (jiānxīn de)
⇒ He's had a very hard life.他的生活很艰难。 (Tā de shēnghuó hěn jiānnán.)
(= violent)[push, punch, kick]用力的 (yònglì de)
(= severe)[person, expression]苛刻的 (kēkè de)
(Chem)[water]硬的 (yìng de)
(= cold)[winter, frost]寒冷的 (hánlěng de)
adv
[work, try, think]努力地 (nǔlì de)
⇒ I've been working hard all day.我已努力地工作了一整天。 (Wǒ yǐ nǔlì de gōngzuòle yī zhěngtiān.)
[laugh, rain, snow]猛烈地 (měngliè de)
⇒ I've never seen Terry laugh so hard.我从没见过特里笑得那么厉害。 (Wō cóng méi jiànguò Tèlǐ xiào de nàme lìhai.)
⇒ The wind is blowing hard.风猛烈地刮着。 (Fēng měngliè de guāzhe.)
(= violently)[hit, punch, kick]用力地 (yònglì de)
it is hard to understand what is happening很难(難)理解现(現)在发(發)生了什么(麼)事情 (hěn nán lǐjiě xiànzài fāshēng le shénme shìqing)
it's hard to tell/say/know很难(難)讲(講)/说(說)/知道 (hěn nán jiǎng/shuō/zhīdào)
such events are hard to understand这(這)种(種)事很难(難)理解 (zhè zhǒng shì hěn nán lǐjiě)
to be hard to please难(難)以取悦(悅) (nányǐ qǔyuè)
to find it hard to do sth觉(覺)得做某事困难(難) (juéde zuò mǒushì kùnnan)
it's hard work serving in a shop商店工作很难(難)做 (shāngdiàn gōngzuò hěn nán zuò)
hard luck!真倒霉！ (zhēn dǎoméi!)
to be hard on sb[person]对(對)某人过(過)分严(嚴)厉(厲) (duì mǒurén guòfèn yánlì) [situation]对(對)某人来(來)说(說)有害 (duì mǒurén láishuō yǒuhài)
no hard feelings!别(別)记(記)仇！ (bié jìchóu!)
to be hard of hearing听(聽)力不佳 (tīnglì bù jiā)
to feel hard done by (Brit) 觉(覺)得受到不公平待遇 (juéde shòudào bùgōngpíng dàiyù)
hard evidence/facts铁(鐵)证(證)/客观(觀)的事实(實) (tiězhèng/kèguān de shìshí)
be hard put or pushed to do sth难(難)以做某事 (nányǐ zuò mǒushì)
to look hard at (= stare at)[person]盯着(著) (dīngzhe) (= consider)[idea, problem, situation]认(認)真考虑(慮) (rènzhēn kǎolǜ)