hard
hard
Pronunciation
hard: /hɑːrd/
/h/ - voiceless glottal fricative
/ɑː/ - open back unrounded vowel
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
Adjective: hard, harder, hardest
Adverb: hard
Verb: hardens, hardened, hardening (referring to the process of becoming hard)
Noun: hardness (referring to the quality of being hard)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
1. (Of a material or object) Solid, firm, and resistant to pressure; not easily broken, cut, or dented.
Synonyms: firm, rigid, solid, stiff, tough, unyielding
Antonyms: soft, pliable, flexible, yielding
2. Difficult to do, understand, or deal with.
Synonyms: difficult, challenging, arduous, demanding, tough, strenuous, laborious
Antonyms: easy, simple, straightforward, facile
3. (Of a person's life or circumstances) Full of difficulties and troubles; severe.
Synonyms: difficult, harsh, severe, challenging, trying, demanding, rigorous
Antonyms: easy, comfortable, privileged, lenient
4. (Of a drug or alcoholic drink) Potent and addictive, often with severe side effects.
Synonyms: potent, strong, addictive, illicit, dangerous
Antonyms: mild, weak, soft
5. (Of water) Containing a high concentration of dissolved mineral salts that prevent soap from lathering easily.
Synonyms: mineralized, calciferous
Antonyms: soft, demineralized
Adverb
1. With great effort or intensity.
Synonyms: intensely, vigorously, strongly, forcefully, strenuously, diligently
Antonyms: gently, lightly, easily, softly
2. So as to be solid or firm.
Synonyms: solidly, firmly, tightly, rigidly
Antonyms: loosely, gently, softly
Noun
1. The quality of being firm, solid, or rigid; resistance to pressure.
Synonyms: firmness, rigidity, solidity, stiffness, toughness, resilience
Antonyms: softness, pliability, flexibility, weakness
2. A difficult or challenging situation or task.
Synonyms: difficulty, challenge, hardship, ordeal, struggle, trial
Antonyms: ease, simplicity, comfort, privilege
Verb
1. To make or become hard.
Synonyms: solidify, stiffen, set, firm up, congeal, toughen
Antonyms: soften, loosen, relax, weaken
Examples of Use
News and Publications
The term is frequently used in journalism to classify content or describe challenges:
Hard News: This distinguishes news that covers timely, consequential, and important events—like politics, international affairs, economics, and science—from "soft news," which often focuses on human-interest or entertainment stories (Britannica Editors).
Example: "The editor assigned the new reporter to the hard news beat covering city hall and local politics."
A Hard Look: Used to describe serious, often critical, investigation or analysis.
Example: "An online editorial calls for a hard look at the corporation's environmental practices before renewing its license" (Online Publication).
Hard-Fought: Often used in political or sports journalism to describe a difficult victory or competition.
Example: "After a hard-fought campaign, the incumbent was narrowly defeated" (Newspaper).
Books and Literature
In literature, "hard" is used both literally and figuratively:
Physical Properties: Describing an object's texture or density.
Example: "The detective knocked on the solid oak door, the wood felt hard and unforgiving beneath his knuckles" (Fiction Novel).
Difficulty/Effort: Describing labor or a difficult path.
Example: "The mathematician stated there is no royal road to geometry—some things are just hard" (Attributed to Euclid; mentioned in The New Republic).
Emotional State: Describing a difficult or insensitive demeanor.
Example: "Her grandmother’s face was set in a hard, determined mask, refusing to show any signs of pain" (Memoir).
Entertainment and Media Platforms
In film, television, and music, "hard" sets genres or describes actions:
Genre Descriptor (Music): Classifying intense or aggressive music.
Example: "Hard Rock" or "Hardcore Punk" are common genre labels used on streaming platforms (Music Streaming Platform).
Intensity/Force (Film/TV): Describing an action performed with great force.
Example: "He hit the punching bag so hard that the chain supporting it snapped" (Action Movie Dialogue).
"Die Hard": A well-known film title that implies resilience and difficulty in being killed or eliminated. (Film Title/Franchise).
General Public Discourse
In everyday language, "hard" is used to express challenges, certainty, or physical attributes:
Difficulty (Common Phrase): Expressing that something is difficult to manage or accept.
Example: "It’s a hard truth to swallow, but the company is downsizing."
Solid Evidence (Legal/Debate): Referring to facts that are certain or proven.
Example: "We need hard evidence before we can make an accusation" (Workplace Discussion).
Physically Fit: Describing muscle tone.
Example: "The climber’s muscles were visibly hard from years of training and scaling difficult peaks" (Fitness Blog).
"Hard Pass": A firm refusal or rejection.
Example: "Invite me to that party? Hard pass, I'm staying in tonight" (Social Media/Conversational Slang).
10 Famous Quotes Using Hard
"When the going gets hard, the hard get going." (Attributed to various sources, including Joseph P. Kennedy)
"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." (Henry Ford)
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." (Often misattributed to Maya Angelou, but a widely known sentiment on the hard impact of emotions.)
"The harder I work, the luckier I get." (Often attributed to Samuel Goldwyn or Thomas Jefferson)
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." (Isaac Newton, implying the hard work and knowledge accumulated by predecessors)
"It's a hard knock life for us!" (From the musical Annie)
"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy, implicitly calling for hard work and dedication)
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." (Friedrich Nietzsche, referencing the strengthening effect of hard experiences)
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." (Winston Churchill, highlighting the hard perseverance required)
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." (Wayne Gretzky, a metaphorical quote about taking hard chances)
Etymology
The word "hard" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back thousands of years!
Imagine a time even before what we call "Old English" (which was spoken roughly from the 5th to the 11th centuries). Our word "hard" comes from an even older language called Proto-Indo-European. This was a language spoken by people who lived a very, very long time ago, and it's considered the ancestor of many languages spoken today, including English, German, Greek, and even Sanskrit.
In this ancient Proto-Indo-European language, the root word was something like *kret- or *kort-ús, which meant "strong" or "powerful."
From there, it evolved into Proto-Germanic (the ancestor of Germanic languages like English and German) as *harduz, keeping that core meaning of "strong" or "brave" and also "hard" in the sense of being firm and solid.
When we get to Old English (before 1150 AD), the word was heard. At this point, it already had two main meanings that are still very common today:
Solid and firm, not soft: Think of a "hard rock" or "hard wood." This was the very first and most direct meaning, referring to something that resists pressure and is difficult to break.
Difficult to endure or carried on with great effort: This meaning, referring to something challenging or requiring a lot of work, also appeared very early on in Old English.
So, the first known use and meaning of "hard" goes back to Old English, meaning both physically firm and difficult to achieve, and those meanings have remained central to the word's use for centuries, evolving from a much older sense of "strength" or "power."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Hard
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "hard":
Hard and fast: (Of a rule or limit) strictly applied; not to be violated.
Hard up: Short of money.
Hard feelings: Feelings of resentment or bitterness.
Hard sell: A high-pressure approach to selling.
Hard liquor: Alcoholic drinks with a high alcohol content.
Hard of hearing: Partially deaf.
Hard copy: A printed version of a document.
Hard luck: Bad luck.
Hard work: Difficult or demanding labor.
Hard ball: Aggressive or uncompromising methods, especially in business or politics.
Hard shoulder: The paved area alongside a motorway for emergency stops.
Hard times: A period of difficulty or hardship.
Hard knocks: Difficult or unpleasant experiences.
Hard on someone/something: Treating someone severely or being critical; having a damaging effect.
Hard to swallow: Difficult to believe or accept.
Play hard to get: To pretend to be unavailable or uninterested, especially in a romantic context.
Work hard, play hard: A philosophy of putting in significant effort at work and then enjoying leisure activities with equal enthusiasm.
Come down hard on someone: To punish someone severely or criticize them strongly.
Between a rock and a hard place: In a difficult situation where any choice is undesirable.
Give someone a hard time: To make things difficult for someone; to tease or criticize someone.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of hard from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
