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Glite Dictionary
bone hard

bone hard

1 7.7
Very strong and not easily broken or changed
  • adjective
  • Informal
: duro como hueso
  • The athlete's determination was bone hard, allowing her to push through every challenge.

We all know that Zach is bone hard.

Examples

  • He worked tirelessly, with a bone hard resolve to achieve his goals despite the obstacles.

  • The snow, soft and absorbent at gentler temperatures, is "bone hard" at fifty below.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Heartwood was next, bone-hard and dead.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • He stared into his callused, bone-hard hands.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The material used in the construction was bone hard, ensuring the strength and durability of the building.

Synonyms

strong
vsbone hard
∞ 1.0

Having great physical power or being solid enough to resist force

emphasizes extreme resilience and harshness beyond simple physical strength
tough
vsbone hard
214 1.7

Strong and able to resist damage or rough use

adds a sense of harshness and stubborn determination not just strength
rock hard
vsbone hard
21 3.2

Very hard and solid like stone

is broader, including toughness of people, will, and harsh conditions
tough as nails
vsbone hard
  • Informal
11 7.1

Someone who can deal with hard things and stay calm

is broader, applying also to materials, conditions, and harshness
hard-core
vsbone hard
10 7.5

Unwilling to change bad habits or beliefs

is broader, covering toughness in materials and neutral resilience
bone in someone's teeth
vsbone hard
  • Informal
1 9.9

Acting with strong determination and refusing to give up

is also about toughness but applies more to materials and harshness
granitic
vsbone hard
1 7.8

Very firm and unwilling to change in attitude or mind

is more general toughness covering people, materials, and resilience

Antonyms

soft
557 1.0

Easily pressed when you touch it

How Hard

bone hard
  • Informal
1 7.7
hard
631 1.0
firm
87 1.0
soft
557 1.0

Surface Forms

bone hard positive

Morphology

bone + hard

The meaning 'extremely tough' follows directly from combining 'bone' (a naturally hard material) with 'hard' (firm/solid) — i.e., ‘as hard as bone’ — so the sense is a straightforward intensification of hardness. This compositional, material-based metaphor is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Bone hard comes from the picture of a bone, the body's hardest part, so hard as bone means 'very firm' and 'not easy to break'. That's why we call a person or ground bone hard when they are extremely tough or completely solid.