From Middle Englishhard, from Old Englishheard, from Proto-West Germanic*hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic*harduz, from Proto-Indo-European*kort-ús, from *kret-(“strong, powerful”). Cognate with Germanhart, Swedishhård, Ancient Greekκρατύς(kratús), Sanskritक्रतु(krátu), Avestan𐬑𐬭𐬀𐬙𐬎(xratu).
Adjective
hard (comparativeharderormore hard, superlativehardestormost hard)
(of material or fluid) Solid and firm.
Resistant to pressure; difficult to break, cut or penetrate.
(of drink or drugs) Strong.
(of a normally nonalcoholic drink) Containing alcohol.
(of water) High in dissolved chemical salts, especially those of calcium.
(physics, of a ferromagnetic material) Having the capability of being a permanent magnet by being a material with high magnetic coercivity (compare soft).
(physics, of electromagnetic radiation) Having a high energy (high frequency; short wavelength).
(photography, of light) Made up of parallel rays, producing clearly defined shadows.
(personal or social) Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
Difficult or requiring a lot of effort to do, understand, experience, or deal with.
Demanding a lot of effort to endure.
Severe, harsh, unfriendly, brutal.
(dated) Difficult to resist or control; powerful.
(military) Hardened; having unusually strong defences.
(slang) Tough, muscular, badass.
(slang) Excellent, impressive.
Unquestionable, unequivocal.
(of a road intersection) Having a comparatively larger or a ninety-degree angle.
(slang, vulgar, of a male) Sexually aroused; having an erect penis.
(bodybuilding) Having muscles that are tightened as a result of intense, regular exercise.
(phonetics, not comparable) Fortis.
Plosive.
Unvoiced.
(Slavic phonology) Velarized or plain, rather than palatalized.
(art) 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.
(not comparable)
In a physical form, not digital.
Using a manual or physical process, not by means of a software command.
(politics) Far, extreme.
Of silk: not having had the natural gum boiled off.
(finance) Of a market: having more demand than supply; being a seller's market.
Antonym:soft
(of 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
(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
Pages starting with “hard”.
Related terms
hardpeer
hardy
Descendants
→ Finnish: haarti
→ Spanish: hard
Translations
Adverb
hard (comparativeharder, superlativehardest)
(manner) With much force or effort.
(manner) With difficulty.
(obsolete) So as to raise difficulties.
(manner) Compactly.
(now archaic) Near, close.
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
hard (countable and uncountable, pluralhards)
(countable, nautical) A firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
(countable, motor racing) A tyre whose compound is softer than superhards, and harder than mediums.
(uncountable, drugs, slang) Crack cocaine.
(uncountable, slang) Hard labor.
The prisoners were sentenced to three years' hard.
Etymology 2
From Middle Englishharden, herden, from Old Englishheardian(“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 presenthards, present participleharding, simple past and past participleharded)
(transitive, obsolete) To make hard, harden.
Anagrams
Dhar
Dutch
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ɦɑrt/
Hyphenation: hard
Rhymes: -ɑrt
Homophone: hart
Etymology 1
From Middle Dutchhart, from Old Dutchhart, from Proto-West Germanic*hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic*harduz.
Adjective
hard (comparativeharder, superlativehardst)
hard, strong
Antonym:zacht
(economics, of a currency) strong, not easily devalued
unquestionable, uncontestable
heartless, unsympathetic (of a person)
Antonym:zacht
hard, difficult
harsh, heavy
hard, rich in calcium (of water)
Antonym:zacht
loud (of sound)
Synonym:luid
Antonym:zacht
fast
Synonym:snel
Antonyms:langzaam, traag
Inflection
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
(speed) fast, swiftly
very
loudly
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
hard
inflection of harden:
first-person singular present indicative
imperative
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Englishhard.
Pronunciation
(aspirated h) IPA(key): /aʁd/
Adjective
hard (pluralhards)
(of pornography) hardcore
Noun
hardm (pluralhards)
hardcore pornography
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
h-prothesized form of ard
Middle English
Alternative forms
harde
Etymology
From Old Englishheard, from Proto-West Germanic*hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic*harduz.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hard/
Adjective
hard
hard
Descendants
English: hard
Yola: hard
References
“hard, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Old Norseharðr, from Proto-Germanic*harduz.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hɑːɾ/, /hɑːɽ/
Homophone: har
Adjective
hard (neuter singularhardt, definite singular and pluralharde, comparativehardere, indefinite superlativehardest, definite superlativehardeste)
hard (not soft)
hard, stern, severe
hardy
Derived terms
beinhard
hardhet
hardkokt
hardtslående
Related terms
forherde
herde
References
“hard” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Old Norseharðr, from Proto-Germanic*harduz.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hɑːr/, /hɑːɽ/
Homophone: har
Adjective
hard (neuterhardt, definite singular and pluralharde, comparativehardare, indefinite superlativehardast, definite superlativehardaste)
hard
hard, stern, severe
hardy
Derived terms
beinhard
hardkokt
knallhard
References
“hard” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old Saxon
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic*hard(ī).
Adjective
hard (comparativehardiro, superlativehardist)
hard
Declension
Derived terms
hardī
Descendants
Low German: hard, hart (inflected hart-)
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Englishhard.
Adjective
hard (invariable)
hard, heavy, hardcore
Yola
Etymology
From Middle Englishhard, from Old Englishheard, from Proto-West Germanic*hard(ī).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hɔːd/
Adjective
hard
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