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hard

hard

∞ 1.1
Needing a lot of effort and often strict or severe
  • adjective
  • /hɑrd/
: difícil
  • Some of this information may be hard to gather for engineers at some companies.
  • hard to find
  • hard to believe
  • hard to imagine

All these rules are so hard and rigid.

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Examples

  • But it's not that hard to do now.

  • Oh my God, this is hard to balance.

  • And it just was really hard for me to accept.

  • And after a while it's not quite so hard, right?

  • Why is it so hard just to stay with me?

  • But still, I know, it's hard to say good-bye.

  • All these rules are so hard and rigid.

  • Consequently, Black boys and young adults work hard to earn respect and protect it.

    Academic text (2013)
  • It sounds great, but it's hard sometimes to be loyal.

  • Studying for the final exam was especially hard for her because she had a lot of other commitments.

Synonyms

difficult
vshard
∞ 1.6

Not easy to do or understand

also covers strict or severe attitudes and situations that are not easy
tough
vshard
∞ 2.6

Hard to do or understand and needing a lot of effort

also applies to strict attitudes or situations that test endurance
rough
vshard
631 3.0

Hard and severe, causing problems or danger

is broader, also applying to tasks needing effort or endurance
tricky
vshard
283 3.9

Difficult to do because it has hidden problems

is used more generally for effort or strict attitudes, not only hidden problems
challenging
vshard
274 4.4

Hard to do and needing a lot of effort

also covers strict or severe attitudes as well as not easy situations
demanding
vshard
104 4.1

Needing a lot of time, effort, or attention

also includes strict or severe attitudes, not only tasks that ask much
harsh
vshard
104 2.9

Very severe and demanding, making life or work difficult, for example very bad weather

also applies to things that require effort, skill, or endurance
grueling
vshard
60 7.0

Very hard and tiring, needing a lot of physical effort

is also used for strict attitudes or severe environments causing hardship
trying
vshard
34 5.1

Hard to deal with and making people feel tired or annoyed

also covers strict attitudes or serious situations beyond mere annoyance
strenuous
vshard
32 4.9

Needing a lot of effort or energy

is also used for strict attitudes or severe situations beyond exertion
arduous
vshard
29 7.7

Very difficult to do and needing a lot of effort over a long time

also refers to strict or harsh attitudes and trying situations
hard-fought
vshard
24 4.7

Needing a lot of effort and struggle to get something

is also used for strict attitudes or situations that are not easy
punishing
vshard
17 6.5

Hard to do and leaves you very tired

also applies to strict attitudes or severe conditions beyond physical strain
hard-nosed
vshard
13 7.2

A practical, tough person who is not moved by feelings

is also used for tasks that need effort or endurance, not just attitude
hard-core
vshard
10 7.5

Unwilling to change bad habits or beliefs

is wider, also applying to tasks or situations that need great effort
hardline
vshard
10 6.8

Very strict and unwilling to change policies or make compromises

is broader, also describing tasks and situations that require much effort
rugged
vshard
10 5.3

Very difficult and needing a lot of strength to keep going

also includes strict attitudes or harsh conditions beyond testing endurance
laborious
vshard
9 6.8

A task or process that needs a lot of time and hard work

also covers strict or harsh attitudes rather than just long tasks
backbreaking
vshard
5 5.8

Very hard physical work that makes your body tired

also refers to strict or severe attitudes, not only physical work
toilsome
vshard
1 8.9

Needing a lot of hard work and making you tired

also refers to strict attitudes or situations that cause suffering
operose
vshard
  • Formal
1 9.9

Needing a lot of hard work and careful attention

is also used for strict or unsentimental attitudes and harsh situations

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Not hard to do, understand, or achieve

∞ 1.0

Easy to understand or do

279 2.0

Not strict and willing to allow mistakes

31 4.4

Not strict about rules and punishment

Idioms

the hard way
  • Informal
102 5.4

To learn something through mistakes and problems instead of taking an easier path

no hard feelings
  • Informal
51 4.8

Not angry or upset after an argument

37 6.0

Find out by going through a difficult or painful experience instead of being warned

Difficult to understand

So attractive you cannot say no

10 5.0

Difficult to find, stop, or understand

hard up
  • Informal
9 8.0

Having very little money and struggling to pay bills

A difficult situation where you have no good choice

A person who is not easily satisfied and often complains

5 7.4

Life experience you get by facing hard problems instead of formal education

Difficult to explain or defend as reasonable

hard on the eyes
  • Informal
2 6.8

Unpleasant to look at and makes your eyes feel tired

2 8.3

Unable to manage easily because you have little money or help

A time when someone has many problems and finds life difficult

Easy to notice because it is large, bright, or strong

1 8.9

A phrase showing little or no sympathy for someone's bad luck

To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively

Very difficult for people to understand or do

To be extremely tired and worn after hard work or rough treatment

A humorous question asking if people do their job a lot or only a little

A lifestyle of very hard work followed by active free time

Compounds

522 2.9

A period when someone has difficulty or trouble

439 1.6

A lot of steady effort to achieve something difficult

hard drive
  • Specialized
146 2.8

A device inside a computer that stores files and lets you open them

96 3.1

A period when people have many problems with money or daily life

70 6.5

Very loyal and dedicated to a group or cause

57 5.1

A firm position that accepts no compromise in politics or talks

49 5.4

A small group of members who are very loyal and always support it

38 1.3

A person who puts a lot of effort into their job or tasks

hard-line
  • Literature
31 7.2

Firm and unwilling to change views or plans, often in politics

24 4.7

Needing a lot of effort and struggle to get something

hard sell
  • Informal
23 5.3

A strong, pushy effort to make someone buy something

22 3.1

A paper copy printed or typed from a computer

hard-hitting
  • Literature
21 5.6

Direct and strong speech, writing, or action that shocks people

21 3.2

Very hard and solid like stone

17 2.5

A plastic helmet that people wear to protect their heads on building sites

16 2.7

Money in the form of bills and coins, not cards or electronic payments

A person who can hear some sounds but not well

hard time
  • Informal
13 8.2

A period in prison that is especially severe

12 1.0

A small sweet made from sugar that you suck rather than chew

hard disk
  • Specialized
12 3.0

A fixed part inside a computer that stores files and data

hard drug
  • NSFW
12 4.6

A strong illegal substance that people quickly become addicted to, like heroin or cocaine

11 5.7

Very clear rules or limits that do not allow change

hard currency
  • Specialized
11 4.9

Money that is widely used and stays stable in value

hard knocks
  • Informal
11 6.0

Difficult experiences that teach you important life lessons

hard right
  • Literature
11 7.9

A very conservative group in a political party

10 7.5

Unwilling to change bad habits or beliefs

An egg boiled until the white and yolk are solid

hard news
  • Literature
10 3.5

News about serious events like politics, crime, or disasters

10 3.9

An alcoholic drink stronger than beer or wine, like whiskey and vodka

A fixed instruction you cannot change or adapt

7 3.6

Having a hard outer covering that protects what is inside, like a crab or nut

5 3.6

A strong alcoholic drink like whiskey or vodka

hard water
  • Specialized
3 3.8

Water that has many minerals like calcium or magnesium so soap does not make good bubbles

3 3.3

A drink made from apples that has alcohol

hard steel
  • Specialized
2 4.6

Steel with more carbon that is very strong and not easy to bend, often used for tools and blades

hard nail
  • Informal
2 8.4

A person who is very tough and not easily influenced

Physical money you can hold, such as bills and coins, not checks or cards

hard rubber
  • Specialized
2 4.6

A very hard material made from tree sap and heated to become stiff, used for pen barrels or handles

A person who cannot hear well

rock hard abs
  • Informal
1 4.7

Stomach muscles that are very firm and easy to see

1 2.1

A small round bread baked to have a hard, crisp crust

1 3.2

A paved area at the side of a motorway or main road where vehicles can stop in an emergency

1 1.0

An egg boiled until the white and yolk are solid

hard yakka
  • Australian
1 9.8

Very hard physical or mental work that needs a lot of effort

hard-core
  • Jargon
1 7.9

A game mode where death means permanent loss of progress

A crab that has a hard outer covering because it has not recently shed its skin

hard wheat
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A grain with hard, dark seeds used to make bread and pasta

hard mode
  • Jargon
1 6.4

A video game setting that makes play much harder

1 7.9

A kind of jazz from the 1950s with a strong blues feeling and soulful sound

A practical, strict way to handle problems to get results

bone hard
  • Informal
1 7.7

Very strong and not easily broken or changed

hard palate
  • Specialized
1 4.6

The bony front part of the roof of the mouth that separates the mouth from the nose

A person who is not easily pleased and often complains

1 6.3

A sweet creamy mix of butter and sugar often flavored with brandy and served with warm pudding

hard coal
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A hard natural fuel that burns slowly and gives very strong heat

1 6.1

A North American clam with a thick hard shell that is eaten as food

1 6.3

A large edible clam from the Atlantic coast whose shell was once used as money by Native Americans

hard lead
  • Specialized
1 8.1

Heavy metal that people make harder by adding antimony or other metals for industrial use

1 4.4

Made by heating until very hard and dry, for example food or clay

1 4.1

A very loud forceful closing of a door or window

hard sign
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A Cyrillic letter that makes the consonant before it sound hard

hard currency
  • Jargon
1 5.5

Game money you buy with real money to get special items

hard-skinned puffball
  • Specialized
9.9

A small mushroom with a hard outer skin that grows underground like a truffle

hard beech
  • New Zealand
9.4

A tall New Zealand tree with very hard wood used for furniture and building

9.0

A fern with tough, leathery leaves that grows in shady woods

7.2

Food that comes from fish eggs or the egg-filled part of a fish with a grainy feel

8.8

A tall wild plant with stiff round stems that grows in wet places

hard solder
  • Specialized
7.7

A metal mix that melts at a high temperature to join pieces of metal when heated

hard subtitle
  • Specialized
4.1

Text always shown on the screen that cannot be turned off

hard tick
  • Specialized
7.7

A tick with a hard shield on its back and mouth parts that stick out from its head

Ni-hard iron
  • Specialized
8.2

A strong iron with nickel added to resist wear in machine parts

How Difficult

impossible
∞ 1.4
hard
∞ 1.1
challenging
274 4.4
easy
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

hard positive
harder comparative
hardest superlative

Etymology

Hard comes from Old English heard, meaning 'severe' or 'difficult', and people used it for tough conditions. That's why hard can describe something that needs a lot of effort or a strict person.