not soft; solid and firm to the touch; unyielding to pressure and impenetrable or almost impenetrable.
2.
firmly formed; tight: a hard knot.
3.
difficult to do or accomplish; fatiguing; troublesome: a hard task.
4.
difficult or troublesome with respect to an action, situation, person, etc.: hard to please; a hard time.
5.
difficult to deal with, manage, control, overcome, or understand: a hard problem.
6.
involving a great deal of effort, energy, or persistence: hard labor; hard study.
7.
performing or carrying on work with great effort, energy, or persistence: a hard worker.
8.
vigorous or violent in force; severe: a hard rain; a hard fall.
9.
bad; unendurable; unbearable: hard luck.
10.
oppressive; harsh; rough: hard treatment.
11.
austere; severe: a hard winter; the hard times of the Great Depression.
12.
harsh or severe in dealing with others: a hard master.
13.
difficult to explain away; undeniable: hard facts.
14.
that can be verified; factual, as distinguished from speculation or hearsay: hard information.
15.
harsh or unfriendly; resentful; severe; bitter: hard feelings; hard words.
16.
of stern judgment or close examination; searching: a hard look.
17.
lacking delicacy or softness; not blurred or diffused; clear and distinct; sharp; harsh: a hard line; a hard, bright light; hard features; a hard face.
18.
(of a photograph) contrasty.
19.
severe or rigorous in terms: a hard bargain.
20.
sternly realistic; dispassionate; unsentimental: a hard, practical man; a hard view of life.
21.
incorrigible; disreputable; tough: a hard character.
22.
Scot.and North England. niggardly; stingy.
23.
in coins or paper money as distinguished from checks, securities, promissory notes, or other negotiable instruments).
24.
(of paper money or a monetary system) supported by sufficient gold reserves and easily convertible into the currency of a foreign nation.
25.
(of money) scarce or available at high interest rates: a hard loan.
26.
denoting assets with intrinsic value, as gold, silver, or diamonds.
27.
(of alcoholic beverages)
a.
containing more than 22.5 percent alcohol by volume, as whiskey and brandy as opposed to beer and wine.
b.
strong because of fermentation; intoxicating: hard cider.
28.
(of wine) tasting excessively of tannin.
29.
(of an illicit narcotic or drug) known to be physically addictive, as opium, morphine, or cocaine.
30.
(of water) containing mineral salts that interfere with the action of soap.
31.
(of bread and baked goods)
a.
having a firm, crisp crust or texture: hard rolls.
b.
stale or tough.
32.
(of a fabric) having relatively little nap; smooth: Silk is a harder fabric than wool or cotton.
33.
(of the landing of a rocket or space vehicle) executed without decelerating: a hard landing on the moon. Compare soft(def. 28).
34.
(of a missile base) equipped to launch missiles from underground silos.
35.
(of a missile) capable of being launched from an underground silo.
36.
Military. being underground and strongly protected from nuclear bombardment.
37.
Agriculture. noting wheats with high gluten content, milled for a bread flour as contrasted with pastry flour.
hard put, in great perplexity or difficulty; at a loss: We were hard put to finish the examination in one hour.
58.
hard up, Informal.
a.
urgently in need of money.
b.
feeling a lack or need: The country is hard up for technicians and doctors.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME; OE heard; c. D hard, G hart, ON harthr, Goth hardus; akin to Gk kratýs strong, Ionic dial. kártos strength (cf. -cracy)]
—Synonyms 1. inflexible, rigid, compressed, compact, dense, resisting, adamantine, flinty. See firm1. 3. toilsome, burdensome, wearisome, exhausting. Hard,difficult both describe something resistant to one's efforts or one's endurance. Hard is the general word: hard times; It was hard to endure the severe weather. Difficult means not easy, and particularly denotes that which requires special effort or skill: a difficult task. 5. complex, complicated, perplexing, puzzling, intricate, knotty, tough. 6. arduous, onerous, laborious. 8. stormy, tempestuous. 10. severe, rigorous, grinding, cruel, merciless, unsparing. 12. stern, austere, strict, exacting, relentless, obdurate, adamant; unyielding, unpitying. Hard,callous,unfeeling,unsympathetic imply a lack of interest in, feeling for, or sympathy with others. Hard implies insensibility, either natural or acquired, so that the plight of others makes no impression on one: a hard taskmaster. Callous may mean the same or that one is himself or herself insensitive to hurt as the result of continued repression and indifference: a callous answer; callous to criticism. Unfeeling implies natural inability to feel with and for others: an unfeeling and thoughtless remark. Unsympathetic implies an indifference that precludes pity, compassion, or the like: unsympathetic toward distress. 13. incontrovertible.
Requiring great effort or endurance: a hard assignment.
Performed with or marked by great diligence or energy: a project that required years of hard work.
Difficult to resolve, accomplish, or finish: That was a hard question.
Difficult to understand or impart: Physics was the hardest of my courses. Thermodynamics is a hard course to teach.
Intense in force or degree: a hard blow.
Inclement: a long, hard winter.
Stern or strict in nature or comportment: a hard taskmaster.
Resistant to persuasion or appeal; obdurate.
Making few concessions: drives a hard bargain.
Difficult to endure: a hard life.
Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect: restrictions that were hard on welfare applicants.
Lacking compassion or sympathy; callous.
Harsh or severe in effect or intention: said some hard things that I won't forget.
Bitter; resentful: No hard feelings, I hope.
Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
Bad; adverse: hard luck.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Requiring great effort or endurance: a hard assignment.
Performed with or marked by great diligence or energy: a project that required years of hard work.
Difficult to resolve, accomplish, or finish: That was a hard question.
Difficult to understand or impart: Physics was the hardest of my courses. Thermodynamics is a hard course to teach.
Intense in force or degree: a hard blow.
Inclement: a long, hard winter.
Stern or strict in nature or comportment: a hard taskmaster.
Resistant to persuasion or appeal; obdurate.
Making few concessions: drives a hard bargain.
Difficult to endure: a hard life.
Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect: restrictions that were hard on welfare applicants.
Lacking compassion or sympathy; callous.
Harsh or severe in effect or intention: said some hard things that I won't forget.
Bitter; resentful: No hard feelings, I hope.
Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
Bad; adverse: hard luck.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Intense in force or degree: a hard blow.
Inclement: a long, hard winter.
Stern or strict in nature or comportment: a hard taskmaster.
Resistant to persuasion or appeal; obdurate.
Making few concessions: drives a hard bargain.
Difficult to endure: a hard life.
Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect: restrictions that were hard on welfare applicants.
Lacking compassion or sympathy; callous.
Harsh or severe in effect or intention: said some hard things that I won't forget.
Bitter; resentful: No hard feelings, I hope.
Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
Bad; adverse: hard luck.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Stern or strict in nature or comportment: a hard taskmaster.
Resistant to persuasion or appeal; obdurate.
Making few concessions: drives a hard bargain.
Difficult to endure: a hard life.
Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect: restrictions that were hard on welfare applicants.
Lacking compassion or sympathy; callous.
Harsh or severe in effect or intention: said some hard things that I won't forget.
Bitter; resentful: No hard feelings, I hope.
Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
Bad; adverse: hard luck.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Difficult to endure: a hard life.
Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect: restrictions that were hard on welfare applicants.
Lacking compassion or sympathy; callous.
Harsh or severe in effect or intention: said some hard things that I won't forget.
Bitter; resentful: No hard feelings, I hope.
Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
Bad; adverse: hard luck.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Harsh or severe in effect or intention: said some hard things that I won't forget.
Bitter; resentful: No hard feelings, I hope.
Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
Bad; adverse: hard luck.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car's finish.
Bad; adverse: hard luck.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Proceeding or performing with force, vigor, or persistence; assiduous: a hard worker.
Real and unassailable: hard evidence.
Definite; firm: a hard commitment.
Close; penetrating: We need to take a hard look at the situation.
Free from illusion or bias; practical: brought some hard common sense to the discussion.
Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Marked by sharp outline or definition; stark.
Lacking in delicacy, shading, or nuance.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Hard-core.
Being a turn in a specific direction at an angle more acute than other possible routes.
Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.
Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.
High and stable. Used of prices.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.
Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Erect; tumid. Used of a penis.
Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.
Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.
Containing dissolved salts that interfere with the lathering action of soap. Used of water.
Linguistics Velar, as in c in cake or g in log, as opposed to palatal or soft.
Physics Of relatively high energy; penetrating: hard x-rays.
High in gluten content: hard wheat.
Chemistry Resistant to biodegradation: a hard detergent.
Physically addictive. Used of certain illegal drugs, such as heroin.
Resistant to blast, heat, or radiation. Used especially of nuclear weapons.
adv.
With strenuous effort; intently: worked hard all day; stared hard at the accused criminal.
With great force, vigor, or energy: pressed hard on the lever.
In such a way as to cause great damage or hardship: industrial cities hit hard by unemployment.
With great distress, grief, or bitterness: took the divorce hard.
Firmly; securely: held hard to the railing.
Toward or into a solid condition: concrete that sets hard within a day.
Near in space or time; close: The factory stands hard by the railroad tracks.
Nautical Completely; fully: hard alee.
[Middle English, from Old English heard; see kar- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These adjectives mean requiring great physical or mental effort to do, achieve, or master. Hard is the most general term: "You write with ease to show your breeding,/But easy writing's curst hard reading" (Richard Brinsley Sheridan).
Difficult and hard are interchangeable in many instances. Difficult, however, is often preferable where the need for skill or ingenuity is implied: "All poetry is difficult to read,/—The sense of it is, anyhow" (Robert Browning).
Arduous applies to burdensome labor or sustained physical or spiritual effort: "knowledge at which [Isaac] Newton arrived through arduous and circuitous paths" (Thomas Macaulay).
Hard\, a. [Compar. Harder; superl. Hardest.] [OE. heard, AS. heard; akin to OS. & D. heard, G. hart, OHG. harti, Icel. har?r, Dan. haard, Sw. h[*a]rd, Goth. hardus, Gr.? strong, ?, ?, strength, and also to E. -ard, as in coward, drunkard, -crat, -cracy in autocrat, democracy; cf. Skr. kratu strength, ? to do, make. Cf. Hardy.]1. Not easily penetrated, cut, or separated into parts; not yielding to pressure; firm; solid; compact; -- applied to material bodies, and opposed to soft; as, hard wood; hard flesh; a hard apple. 2. Difficult, mentally or judicially; not easily apprehended, decided, or resolved; as a hard problem. The hard causes they brought unto Moses. --Ex. xviii. 26. In which are some things hard to be understood. --2 Peter iii. 16. 3. Difficult to accomplish; full of obstacles; laborious; fatiguing; arduous; as, a hard task; a disease hard to cure. 4. Difficult to resist or control; powerful. The stag was too hard for the horse. --L'Estrange. A power which will be always too hard for them. --Addison. 5. Difficult to bear or endure; not easy to put up with or consent to; hence, severe; rigorous; oppressive; distressing; unjust; grasping; as, a hard lot; hard times; hard fare; a hard winter; hard conditions or terms. I never could drive a hard bargain. --Burke. 6. Difficult to please or influence; stern; unyielding; obdurate; unsympathetic; unfeeling; cruel; as, a hard master; a hard heart; hard words; a hard character. 7. Not easy or agreeable to the taste; stiff; rigid; ungraceful; repelling; as, a hard style. Figures harder than even the marble itself. --Dryden. 8. Rough; acid; sour, as liquors; as, hard cider. 9. (Pron.) Abrupt or explosive in utterance; not aspirated, sibilated, or pronounced with a gradual change of the organs from one position to another; -- said of certain consonants, as c in came, and g in go, as distinguished from the same letters in center, general, etc. 10. Wanting softness or smoothness of utterance; harsh; as, a hard tone. 11. (Painting) (a) Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition. (b) Having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in the coloring or light and shade. Hard cancer, Hard case, etc. See under Cancer, Case, etc. Hard clam, or Hard-shelled clam (Zo["o]l.), the guahog. Hard coal, anthracite, as distinguished from bituminous or soft coal. Hard and fast. (Naut.) See under Fast. Hard finish (Arch.), a smooth finishing coat of hard fine plaster applied to the surface of rough plastering. Hard lines, hardship; difficult conditions. Hard money, coin or specie, as distinguished from paper money. Hard oyster (Zo["o]l.), the northern native oyster. [Local, U. S.] Hard pan, the hard stratum of earth lying beneath the soil; hence, figuratively, the firm, substantial, fundamental part or quality of anything; as, the hard pan of character, of a matter in dispute, etc. See Pan. Hard rubber. See under Rubber. Hard solder. See under Solder. Hard water, water, which contains lime or some mineral substance rendering it unfit for washing. See Hardness, 3. Hard wood, wood of a solid or hard texture; as walnut, oak, ash, box, and the like, in distinction from pine, poplar, hemlock, etc. In hard condition, in excellent condition for racing; having firm muscles;-said of race horses. Syn: Solid; arduous; powerful; trying; unyielding; stubborn; stern; flinty; unfeeling; harsh; difficult; severe; obdurate; rigid. See Solid, and Arduous.
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Audio Help [hahrd] Pronunciation Key adjective, -er, -est, adverb, -er, -est, noun 
