hard

hard

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of hard in English

English Online Dictionary. What means hard‎? What does hard mean?

English

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: häd, IPA(key): /hɑːd/
  • (General American) enPR: härd, IPA(key): /hɑɹd/
  • Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)d

Etymology 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”). Cognate with German hart, Swedish hård, Ancient Greek κρατύς (kratús), Sanskrit क्रतु (krátu), Avestan 𐬑𐬭𐬀𐬙𐬎 (xratu).

Adjective

hard (comparative harder or more hard, superlative hardest or most hard)

  1. (of material or fluid) Solid and firm.
    1. Resistant to pressure; difficult to break, cut, or penetrate.
    2. (of drink or drugs) Strong.
    3. (of a normally nonalcoholic drink) Containing alcohol.
    4. (oenology) Very acidic or tannic.
      • 2002, Robert M. Parker (Jr.), ‎Pierre-Antoine Rovani, Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide (page 175)
        While most 1974s remain hard, tannic, hollow wines lacking ripeness, flesh, and character, a number of the Graves estates did produce surprisingly spicy, interesting wines.
    5. (of water) High in dissolved chemical salts, especially those of calcium.
    6. (physics, of a ferromagnetic material) Having the capability of being a permanent magnet by being a material with high magnetic coercivity (compare soft).
    7. (physics, of electromagnetic radiation) Having a high energy (high frequency; short wavelength).
    8. (photography, of light) Made up of parallel rays, producing clearly defined shadows.
  2. (personal or social) Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
    1. Difficult or requiring a lot of effort to do, understand, experience, or deal with.
    2. Demanding a lot of effort to endure.
    4. Severe, harsh, unfriendly, brutal.
    5. (dated) Difficult to resist or control; powerful.
    6. (military) Hardened; having unusually strong defences.
    7. (slang) Tough, muscular, badass.
    8. (slang) Excellent, impressive.
  3. Unquestionable; unequivocal.
  4. (of a road intersection) Having a comparatively larger or a ninety-degree angle.
  5. (slang, vulgar, of a male) Sexually aroused; having an erect penis.
  6. (bodybuilding) Having muscles that are tightened as a result of intense, regular exercise.
  7. (phonetics, not comparable) Fortis.
    1. Plosive.
    2. Unvoiced.
  8. (Slavic phonology) Velarized or plain, rather than palatalized.
  9. (art) Having a severe property; presenting a barrier to enjoyment.
    1. Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition.
    2. Having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in colour or shading.
  10. (not comparable)
    1. In a physical form, not digital.
    2. Using a manual or physical process, not by means of a software command.
  11. (politics) Far, extreme.
  12. Of silk: not having had the natural gum boiled off.
  13. (finance) Of a market: having more demand than supply; being a seller's market.
    Antonym: soft
  14. (pornography) Hardcore.
Synonyms
  • (resistant to pressure): resistant, solid, stony, see also Thesaurus:hard
  • (requiring a lot of effort to do or understand): confusing, difficult, puzzling, tough, tricky
  • (requiring a lot of effort to endure): difficult, intolerable, tough, unbearable
  • (severe): harsh, hostile, severe, strict, tough, unfriendly
  • (unquestionable): incontrovertible, indubitable, unambiguous, unequivocal, unquestionable
  • (of drink): strong
  • See also Thesaurus:difficult
Antonyms
  • (antonym(s) of “resistant to pressure”): soft
  • (antonym(s) of “requiring a lot of effort to do or understand”): easy, simple, straightforward, trite
  • (antonym(s) of “requiring a lot of effort to endure”): bearable, easy
  • (antonym(s) of “severe”): agreeable, amiable, approachable, friendly, nice, pleasant
  • (antonym(s) of “unquestionable”): controvertible, doubtful, ambiguous, equivocal, questionable
  • (antonym(s) of “of drink”):
    • (antonym(s) of “low in alcohol”): low-alcohol
    • (antonym(s) of “non-alcoholic”): alcohol-free, soft, non-alcoholic
  • (antonym(s) of “of roads”): soft
  • (antonym(s) of “sexually aroused”): soft, flaccid
  • (antonym(s) of “phonetics, all senses”): soft
Derived terms
  • English terms starting with “hard”
Related terms
  • hardpeer
  • hardy
Descendants
  • → Finnish: haarti
  • → Spanish: hard
Translations

Adverb

hard (comparative harder, superlative hardest)

  1. (manner) With much force or effort.
  2. (manner) With difficulty.
  3. (obsolete) So as to raise difficulties.
  4. (manner) Compactly.
  5. (now archaic) Near, close.
Derived terms
Translations

Noun

hard (countable and uncountable, plural hards)

  1. (countable, nautical) A firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
  2. (countable, motor racing) A tyre whose compound is softer than superhards, and harder than mediums.
  3. (uncountable, drugs, slang) Crack cocaine.
  4. (uncountable, slang) Hard labor.
Derived terms
  • Bucklers Hard

Etymology 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.

Verb

hard (third-person singular simple present hards, present participle harding, simple past and past participle harded)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To make hard, harden.

Anagrams

  • Dhar

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɦɑrt/
  • Hyphenation: hard
  • Rhymes: -ɑrt
  • Homophone: hart

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch hart, from Old Dutch hart, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic *harduz.

Adjective

hard (comparative harder, superlative hardst)

  1. hard, strong
    Antonym: zacht
  2. (economics, of a currency) strong, not easily devalued
  3. unquestionable, uncontestable
  4. heartless, unsympathetic (of a person)
    Antonym: zacht
  5. hard, difficult
  6. harsh, heavy
  7. hard, rich in calcium (of water)
    Antonym: zacht
  8. loud (of sound)
    Synonym: luid
    Antonym: zacht
  9. fast
    Synonym: snel
    Antonyms: langzaam, traag
Declension
Derived terms
  • keihard
  • harden
  • hardheid
  • hardlopen
  • hardroeien
  • hardrijden
Descendants
  • Jersey Dutch: hārd
  • Negerhollands: hart
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: hardt

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adverb

hard

  1. (speed) fast, swiftly
  2. very
  3. loudly

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

hard

  1. inflection of harden:
    1. first-person singular present indicative
    2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
    3. imperative

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English hard.

Pronunciation

  • (aspirated h) IPA(key): /aʁd/

Adjective

hard (plural hards)

  1. (of pornography) hardcore

Noun

hard m (plural hards)

  1. hardcore pornography
  2. hard rock
    • 2014, Christian Eudeline, "Uriah Heep. Look At Yourself", in Du hard rock au métal. Les 100 albums cultes, Gründ (publ.).

Irish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [haːɾˠd̪ˠ]

Adjective

hard

  1. h-prothesized form of ard

Middle English

Alternative forms

  • harde

Etymology

From Old English heard, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic *harduz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hard/

Adjective

hard

  1. hard

Descendants

  • English: hard
  • Yola: hard

References

  • “hard, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse harðr, from Proto-Germanic *harduz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑːɾ/, /hɑːɽ/
  • Homophone: har

Adjective

hard (neuter singular hardt, definite singular and plural harde, comparative hardere, indefinite superlative hardest, definite superlative hardeste)

  1. hard (not soft)
  2. hard, stern, severe
  3. hardy

Derived terms

  • beinhard
  • hardhet
  • hardkokt
  • hardtslående

Related terms

  • forherde
  • herde

References

  • “hard” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse harðr, from Proto-Germanic *harduz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɑːr/, /hɑːɽ/
  • Homophone: har

Adjective

hard (neuter hardt, definite singular and plural harde, comparative hardare, indefinite superlative hardast, definite superlative hardaste)

  1. hard
  2. hard, stern, severe
  3. hardy

Derived terms

  • beinhard
  • hardkokt
  • knallhard

References

  • “hard” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī).

Adjective

hard (comparative hardiro, superlative hardist)

  1. hard

Declension




Derived terms

  • hardī

Descendants

  • Middle Low German: hart, hārde
    • Low German: hard, hart

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English hard.

Adjective

hard (invariable)

  1. hard, heavy, hardcore

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English hard, from Old English heard, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hɔːd/

Adjective

hard

  1. hard

Derived terms

  • halpish

References

  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 88

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.