- hard
- hard [härd]adj.[ME < OE heard, akin to Ger hart < IE base * kar-, hard > Gr karyon, nut, kratos, strength]1. not easily dented, pierced, cut, or crushed; resistant to pressure; firm and unyielding to the touch; rigid; solid and compact2. having firm muscles; in good bodily trim; vigorous and robust3. showing, or done with, great force or strength; powerful; violent; vigorous [a hard blow]4. demanding great physical or mental effort or labor; fatiguing; difficult; specif.,a) difficult to do [hard work]b) difficult to understand, explain, or answer [a hard question]c) difficult to deal with; not easily managed or controlled [a man hard to live with]d) firmly fastened or tied [a hard knot]5.a) not easily moved; unfeeling; callous [a hard heart]b) unfriendly; hostile [hard feelings]6. practical and shrewd or calculating [a hard customer]7.a) firm or definite, esp. in an aggressive way [a hard line in foreign policy]b) undeniable, reliable, or actual [hard facts]c) consisting of the basic facts about major events, as opposed to presenting feature stories, opinion, etc. [hard news]8. causing pain or discomfort; specif.,a) difficult to endure; trying; exhausting [a hard life]b) harsh; severe; stern [a hard master, hard words]9. very cold, stormy, etc.; inclement [a hard winter]10.a) harsh, stiff, and wiry: said of fibers or cottonb) having no nap: said of a finish for fabricc) having a texture that is firm, dense, wiry, etc. [a dog with a hard coat]11.a) clearly defined or having sharp contrast; distinct [hard outlines]b) too clear, bright, or penetrating to be pleasant [a hard light]12. having in solution mineral salts that interfere with the lathering and cleansing properties of soap, corrode metals, etc.: said of water13. energetic and persistent; steady and earnest [a hard worker]14.a) fermented; alcoholic [hard cider]b) containing a relatively high percentage of alcohol; strong [hard liquor]15.a) of metal, not paperb) of currency or coin, not credit: said of money16.a) that can be exchanged for gold or silverb) that is readily accepted as foreign exchange: said of certain currencies17. Phonet.a) designating c sounded as in can or g sounded as in gun [a hard g]b) voiceless, as the sound of s in sinc) not palatalized: said as of certain consonants in Slavic languages: not used in these ways as a technical term by phoneticians18. Agric. high in gluten content [hard wheat]19. Chem. not easily biodegradable: said of detergents and pesticides20. Commerce high and stable: said of a market, prices, etc.21. Mil. heavily fortified: said as of an underground installation [a hard base]22. Radiology of high penetrating power: said of X-raysadv.1. energetically and persistently; steadily and earnestly [work hard]2. with strength, violence, or severity [hit hard]3. with difficulty: often used in hyphenated compounds [hard-earned, hard-sought]4. so as to withstand much wear, use, etc. [hard-wearing clothes]5. deeply; fully; soundly [sleep hard]6. firmly; tightly [hold on hard]7. close; near [we live hard by the woods]8. so as to be or make firm, solid, or rigid [to freeze hard]9. with vigor and to the fullest extent: used esp. in indicating direction [hard alee! turn hard right]SYN.- FIRM1——————be hard on1. to treat severely; be harsh toward2. to be difficult, unpleasant, or painful for——————hard and fastinvariable; strict: said of rules, etc.——————hard of hearingpartially deaf——————hard put to it or hard puthaving considerable difficulty or trouble——————hard upInformal in great need of something, esp. moneySYN.- HARD, in this comparison, is the simple and general word for whatever demands great physical or mental effort [hard work, a hard problem ]; DIFFICULT applies especially to that which requires great skill, intelligence, tact, etc. rather than physical labor [a difficult situation ]; ARDUOUS implies the need for diligent, protracted effort [the arduous fight ahead of us ]; LABORIOUS suggests long, wearisome toil [the laborious task of picking fruit ] -ANT. EASY, SIMPLE
English World dictionary. V. Neufeldt. 2014.
