hard core
5
5.4
- noun
- /hɑrd kɔr/
:
núcleo duro
- They constitute the hard core of our problem... and I'm going to crush them once and for all.
Examples
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Public opinion polls show a hard core of "unification" supporters in Taiwan, amounting to about 10 percent of the population.
Academic text (1991) -
All the hard core members... they all get this.
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There's always going to be a hard core.
Blog text (7) -
But there's been a hard core of regulars from the beginning.
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At the same time, the hard core itself is gradually diminishing, while its remaining members have been increasing their consumption amounts.
Academic text (2007) -
All the evidence I can see shows a country with a hard core of government-loving authoritarians huddled in the corner still waving.
Blog text (9) -
The organization has a hard core of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly for the cause.
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Among the hard core of fans, there is a deep understanding of the series' intricate storyline.
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The project relies on the hard core of team members who are fully committed to its success.
Synonyms
468
3.2
The most important central part of something
10
3.5
A small group of people who are most important in a larger organization or activity
How Committed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is largely built from 'core' (the central or essential part) with 'hard' functioning as an intensifier meaning very committed or intense, so a learner who knows both words can reasonably infer 'the most dedicated central members.' However, the nominalized usage ('the hard core' meaning a subgroup of people) and the degree/attitudinal nuance are somewhat lexicalized, so the connection is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
The noun hard core comes from the image of a core that is very hard, like the tough centre of a fruit or a rock that does not break away. So people used that image for the small, firm group who always stay and support a cause, meaning 'the most dedicated' members.