hard
- adjective
- /hɑrd/
- Music can be heard in the distance, growing hard and insistent, like a heartbeat.
- hard-hitting
- hard drugs
- a hard drink
You know why he played the hardest defense known to mankind.
- You know why he played the hardest defense known to mankind.
- But at the same time, Jake is a hard punching guy.
Examples
-
The spread of the Internet could make it harder for autocrats to conceal government waste and corruption.
Academic text (2011) -
And it hit me hard, right in the face, literally.
-
You know, it's very hard to hit someone.
-
In the desert, the wind can blow hard for several days.
-
But times were hard, and I didn't have a choice.
-
That was a hard hit between the right and center fielders!
-
This is the first decent hard news story we've had in months.
-
The employers who are hit the hardest are those with the most generous pension plans.
Academic text (1990) -
The boxer delivered a hard punch that knocked his opponent out.
-
The storm hit the coast hard, causing extensive damage to buildings.
Synonyms
Very concentrated in taste or effect
Very strong and harmful, often causing great damage
Hard to do or understand
Very strong and unpleasant to the senses, like bright light or bitter taste
Very strong, as a drink or wind
Hard and solid to the touch, not easily pressed
Direct and strong speech, writing, or action that shocks people
Very strong and impressive in a way that has a big effect
Light from a small, strong source that shines on one place
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
To learn something through mistakes and problems instead of taking an easier path
- Informal
Find out by going through a difficult or painful experience instead of being warned
- Informal
Life experience you get by facing hard problems instead of formal education
- Informal
To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively
- Archaic
To be extremely tired and worn after hard work or rough treatment
- Informal
A humorous question asking if people do their job a lot or only a little
Compounds
- NSFW
A strong illegal substance that people quickly become addicted to, like heroin or cocaine
- Specialized
Water that has many minerals like calcium or magnesium so soap does not make good bubbles
- Specialized
A very hard material made from tree sap and heated to become stiff, used for pen barrels or handles
A paved area at the side of a motorway or main road where vehicles can stop in an emergency
A crab that has a hard outer covering because it has not recently shed its skin
- Specialized
The bony front part of the roof of the mouth that separates the mouth from the nose
- Specialized
A small mushroom with a hard outer skin that grows underground like a truffle
- New Zealand
A tall New Zealand tree with very hard wood used for furniture and building
- US
A large edible clam from the Atlantic coast whose shell was once used as money by Native Americans
- Specialized
Heavy metal that people make harder by adding antimony or other metals for industrial use
- UK
A sweet creamy mix of butter and sugar often flavored with brandy and served with warm pudding
- Specialized
A metal mix that melts at a high temperature to join pieces of metal when heated
- Specialized
Steel with more carbon that is very strong and not easy to bend, often used for tools and blades
- Specialized
A tick with a hard shield on its back and mouth parts that stick out from its head
How Strong
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hard comes from Old English heard, which meant 'severe' or 'strong'. So a hard blow is one that hits firmly and with real force.