hard
- adjective
- /hɑrd/
- Specialized
- Alternatively, police can make a digital copy of the computer's hard drive.
- soft and hard
- hard palate
- hard glottal
Much of it is a play of the soft G against the hard G.
- Much of it is a play of the soft G against the hard G.
Examples
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The pronunciation of c varies based on its position, with a hard c found in 'casa'.
-
The procedure involves retracting the uvula toward the junction of the hard and soft palate.
Academic text (1999) -
The "J" is still a little hard.
-
We drill up through the hard palate... into the brain.
-
PLGA usually occurs at the junction of the hard and soft palates.
Academic text (2005) -
In Spanish, the letter 'g' can be pronounced as a hard g in words like 'gato' or 'gente'.
-
When teaching English, it's important to emphasize the difference between a hard c in 'cat' and a soft c in 'cell'.
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
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hard comes from Old English heard, meaning 'firm' or 'not soft', and this idea was used for sounds too. So a hard consonant is a 'firm' sound made towards the back of the tongue, not a 'soft' one.