/ hɑːd; NAmE hɑːrd/ adjective , adverb
■ adjective
( hard·er , hard·est )
SOLID / STIFF
1.
solid, firm or stiff and difficult to bend or break :
Wait for the concrete to go hard.
a hard mattress
Diamonds are the hardest known mineral.
OPP soft
DIFFICULT
2.
hard (for sb) (to do sth) difficult to do, understand or answer :
a hard choice / question
It is hard to believe that she's only nine.
It's hard to see how they can lose.
'When will the job be finished?' 'It's hard to say .' (= it is difficult to be certain)
I find his attitude very hard to take (= difficult to accept) .
It's hard for old people to change their ways.
It must be hard for her, bringing up four children on her own.
We're finding reliable staff hard to come by (= difficult to get) .
OPP easy
3.
full of difficulty and problems, especially because of a lack of money
SYN tough :
Times were hard at the end of the war.
She's had a hard life.
OPP easy
NEEDING / USING EFFORT
4.
needing or using a lot of physical strength or mental effort :
It's hard work shovelling snow.
I've had a long hard day.
➡ note at difficult
5.
( of people ) putting a lot of effort or energy into an activity :
She's a very hard worker.
He's hard at work on a new novel.
When I left they were all still hard at it (= working hard) .
➡ note at difficult
6.
done with a lot of strength or force :
He gave the door a good hard kick.
a hard punch
WITHOUT SYMPATHY
7.
showing no sympathy or affection :
My father was a hard man.
She gave me a hard stare.
He said some very hard things to me.
NOT AFRAID
8.
( informal ) ( of people ) ready to fight and showing no signs of fear or weakness :
Come and get me if you think you're hard enough.
You think you're really hard, don't you?
FACTS / EVIDENCE
9.
[ only before noun ] definitely true and based on information that can be proved :
Is there any hard evidence either way?
The newspaper story is based on hard facts .
WEATHER
10.
very cold and severe :
It had been a hard winter .
There was a hard frost that night.
—compare mild
DRINK
11.
[ only before noun ] strongly alcoholic :
hard liquor
( informal )
a drop of the hard stuff (= a strong alcoholic drink)
—compare soft drink
WATER
12.
containing calcium and other mineral salts that make mixing with soap difficult :
a hard water area
Our water is very hard.
OPP soft
CONSONANTS
13.
( phonetics ) used to describe a letter c or g when pronounced as in 'cat' or 'go', rather than as in 'city' or 'giant'
OPP soft
► hard·ness noun [ U ]:
water hardness
hardness of heart
•
IDIOMS
- be hard on sb/sth
- drive / strike a hard bargain
- give sb a hard time
- hard and fast
- (as) hard as nails
- hard cheese
- hard going
- hard luck / lines
- the hard way
- make hard work of sth
- no hard feelings
- play hard to get
- too much like hard work
—more at act noun , job , nut noun , rock noun
■ adverb
( hard·er , hard·est )
WITH EFFORT
1.
with great effort; with difficulty :
to work hard
You must try harder .
She tried her hardest not to show how disappointed she was.
Don't hit it so hard!
He was still breathing hard after his run.
Our victory was hard won (= won with great difficulty) .
WITH FORCE
2.
with great force :
( figurative )
Small businesses have been hit hard / hard hit by the recession.
CAREFULLY
3.
very carefully and thoroughly :
to think hard
We thought long and hard before deciding to move house.
A LOT
4.
heavily; a lot or for a long time :
It was raining hard when we set off.
LEFT / RIGHT
5.
at a sharp angle to the left / right :
Turn hard right at the next junction.
•
IDIOMS
- be / feel hard done by
- be hard pressed / pushed to do sth | be hard put (to it) to do sth
- be hard up for sth
- hard on sth
- take sth hard
—more at die verb , heel noun
••
WHICH WORD
hard / hardly
The adverb from the adjective hard is hard :
I have to work hard today.
•
She has thought very hard about her future plans.
•
It was raining hard outside.
Hardly is an adverb meaning 'almost not':
I hardly ever go to concerts.
•
I can hardly wait for my birthday.
It cannot be used instead of hard : I've been working hardly today. • She has thought very hardly about her future plans. • It was raining hardly outside.
· note at hardly
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English hard , heard , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hard and German hart .