hard Meaning & Definition
What Does Hard Mean?
Hard is an adjective that means Of material or fluid, solid and firm. Resistant to pressure; difficult to break, cut, or penetrate. It is also used to mean Resistant to pressure; difficult to break, cut, or penetrate. As an adverb, it means With much force or effort. As a noun, it means A firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
Quick Facts About Hard
| Part of speech | adjective, adverb, noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //hɑːd// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | arduous, shrewd and delicate |
| Antonyms | soft, easy and lightly |
| Plural | hards |
| Comparative / superlative | harder, hardest |
| Verb forms | hards, harding, harded |
Hard Definition (Adjective)
- Of material or fluid, solid and firm.
Resistant to pressure; difficult to break, cut, or penetrate.
This bread is so stale and hard, I can barely cut it.
- Resistant to pressure; difficult to break, cut, or penetrate.
This bread is so stale and hard, I can barely cut it.
- Of drink or drugs, strong.
- Of a normally nonalcoholic drink, containing alcohol.
hard cider, hard lemonade, hard seltzer, hard soda
- Very acidic or tannic.
- Of water, high in dissolved chemical salts, especially those of calcium.
- Of a ferromagnetic material, having the capability of being a permanent magnet by being a material with high magnetic coercivity (compare soft).
- Of electromagnetic radiation, having a high energy (high frequency; short wavelength).
hard X-rays
- Of light, consisting of parallel rays, producing clearly defined shadows.
- Of a personal or social setting, having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
Difficult or requiring a lot of effort to do, understand, experience, or deal with.
a hard problem; a hard question; a hard topic
- Difficult or requiring a lot of effort to do, understand, experience, or deal with.
a hard problem; a hard question; a hard topic
- Demanding a lot of effort to endure.
a hard life
- Severe, harsh, unfriendly, brutal.
a hard master; a hard heart; hard words; a hard character
- Difficult to resist or control; powerful.
- Hardened; having unusually strong defences.
a hard site
- Tough, muscular, badass.
He thinks he's well hard.
- Excellent, impressive.
This song goes hard.
- Unquestionable; unequivocal.
hard evidence; a hard requirement
- Of an intersection, having a comparatively larger or a ninety-degree angle.
At the intersection, there are two roads going to the left. Take the hard left.
- Sexually aroused; having an erect penis.
I got so hard watching two hot girls wrestle each other on the beach.
- Having muscles that are tightened as a result of intense, regular exercise.
- Fortis.
There is a hard c in "clock" and a soft c in "centre".
- Plosive.
There is a hard c in "clock" and a soft c in "centre".
- Unvoiced.
Hard k, t, s, ch, as distinguished from soft, g, d, z, j.
- Of Slavic languages, velarized or plain, rather than palatalized.
The letter ж (ž) in Russian is always hard.
- Having a severe property; presenting a barrier to enjoyment. Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition. Having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in colour or shading.
- Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition.
- Having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in colour or shading.
- In a physical form, not digital.
a soft or hard copy; a digital or hard archive
- Using a manual or physical process, not by means of a software command.
a hard reboot or reset
- Far, extreme.
hard right, hard left
- Of silk, not having had the natural gum boiled off.
- Of a market: having more demand than supply; being a seller's market.
- Hardcore.
Hard as an Adverb
- With much force or effort.
He hit the puck hard up the ice.
- With difficulty.
His degree was hard earned.
- So as to raise difficulties.
- Compactly.
The lake had finally frozen hard.
- Near, close.
At the intersection, bear hard left.
Hard as a Noun
- A firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
- A tyre whose compound is softer than superhards, and harder than mediums.
- Crack cocaine.
- Hard labor.
The prisoners were sentenced to three years' hard.
Hard as a Verb
- To make hard, harden.
Adjective
- (of material or fluid) Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
- (personal or social) Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
- Unquestionable.
hard evidence; a hard requirement
- (of a road intersection) Having a comparatively larger or a ninety-degree angle.
At the intersection, there are two roads going to the left. Take the hard left.
- (of a male) Sexually aroused.
I got so hard watching two hot guys wrestle each other on the beach.
- Velarized or plain, rather than palatalized
The letter ж in Russian is always hard.
- Having a severe property; presenting a barrier to enjoyment.
Adverb
- (manner) With much force or effort.
At the intersection, bear hard left.
- (manner) With difficulty.
His degree was hard earned.
- (manner) Compactly.
The lake had finally frozen hard.
Synonyms of Hard
Antonyms of Hard
Hard in a Sentence
This bread is so stale and hard, I can barely cut it.
hard cider, hard lemonade, hard seltzer, hard soda
hard X-rays
a hard problem; a hard question; a hard topic
a hard life
a hard master; a hard heart; hard words; a hard character
The senator asked the party chief to put the hard word on his potential rivals.
a hard site
He thinks he's well hard.
This song goes hard.
This guy always has the hardest fits.
hard evidence; a hard requirement
At the intersection, there are two roads going to the left. Take the hard left.
I got so hard watching two hot girls wrestle each other on the beach.
There is a hard c in "clock" and a soft c in "centre".
Hard k, t, s, ch, as distinguished from soft, g, d, z, j.
The letter ж (ž) in Russian is always hard.
a soft or hard copy; a digital or hard archive
a hard reboot or reset
hard right, hard left
He hit the puck hard up the ice.
They worked hard all week.
The recession hit them especially hard.
Think hard about your choices.
The couple were fucking each other hard.
His degree was hard earned.
The lake had finally frozen hard.
At the intersection, bear hard left.
The prisoners were sentenced to three years' hard.
I got so hard watching two hot guys wrestle each other on the beach.
The letter ж in Russian is always hard.
a soft or hard copy ; a digital or hard archive
Word Forms & Grammar
hard (comparative harder or more hard, superlative hardest or most hard)
hard (comparative harder, superlative hardest)
hard (countable and uncountable, plural hards)
hard (third-person singular simple present hards, present participle harding, simple past and past participle harded)
Words That Rhyme With Hard
Origin of Hard
Origin 1: From Middle English hard, from Old English heard, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic *harduz, from Proto-Indo-European *kort-ús, from *kret- (“strong, powerful”).
Origin 2: From Middle English harden, herden, from Old English heardian (“to become hard”) and hierdan (“to make hard”), from Proto-West Germanic *hardēn and *hardijan, from Proto-Germanic *hardijaną.
How Do You Say Hard?
The standard pronunciation of hard is //hɑːd//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hard
Is hard an adjective or an adverb?
Hard is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as an adverb, a noun and a verb.
What is another word for hard?
You can replace hard with words such as arduous, shrewd and delicate. See the full list of hard synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of hard?
The plural of hard is hards.
What is the past tense of hard?
The past tense of hard is harded. The present participle is harding.