hard (härd)adj. hard·er, hard·est 1. a. Resistant to pressure; not readily penetrated; firm or solid: a hard material.b. Well protected from an attack, as by aerial bombardment: bunkers and other hard targets.2. a. Requiring great effort or endurance: a hard assignment.b. Performed with or marked by great diligence or energy: a project that required years of hard work.c. Difficult to resolve, accomplish, or finish: That was a hard question.d. Difficult to understand or impart: Physics was the hardest of my courses. Thermodynamics is a hard course to teach.3. Proceeding or performing with force, vigor, or persistence; assiduous: a hard worker.4. a. Intense in force or degree: a hard blow.b. Inclement or severe: a long, hard winter.5. a. Stern, strict, or demanding: a hard taskmaster.b. Lacking compassion or sympathy; callous: became hard after years in prison.6. a. Difficult to endure; causing hardship or suffering: a hard life.b. Oppressive or unjust in nature or effect: restrictions that were hard on welfare applicants.c. Harsh or severe in effect or intention: I said some hard things that I regret.d. Marked by stubborn refusal to compromise or yield; uncompromising: drives a hard bargain.e. Bitter or resentful: hard feelings caused by the insult.f. Showing disapproval, bitterness, or resentment: gave me a hard look.7. a. Causing damage or premature wear: Snow and ice are hard on a car’s finish.b. Bad; adverse: hard luck.8. a. Real and unassailable: hard evidence.b. Definite; firm: a hard commitment.c. Free from illusion or sentimentality; practical or realistic: We need to take a hard look at the situation.d. Using or based on data that are readily quantified or verified: the hard sciences.9. a. Marked by sharp delineation or contrast: a hard line separating the two lists.b. Lacking in shade; undiminished: the hard light of the midday sun.10. Hardcore.11. Being a turn in a specific direction at an angle more acute than other possible routes.12. a. Metallic, as opposed to paper. Used of currency.b. Backed by bullion rather than by credit. Used of currency.c. High and stable. Used of prices.13. a. Durable; lasting: hard merchandise.b. Written or printed rather than stored in electronic media: sent the information by hard mail.14. Erect; tumid. Used of a penis.15. a. Having high alcoholic content; intoxicating: hard liquor.b. Rendered alcoholic by fermentation; fermented: hard cider.16. Containing dissolved salts that interfere with the lathering action of soap or other cleansing agents. Used of water.17. Linguistics Velar, as in c in cake or g in log, as opposed to palatal or soft.18. Physics Of relatively high energy; penetrating: hard x-rays.19. High in gluten content: hard wheat.20. Chemistry Resistant to biodegradation: a hard detergent.21. Extremely or dangerously addictive. Used of certain illegal drugs, such as heroin.adv.1. With strenuous effort; intently: worked hard all day; stared hard at the accused criminal.2. With great force, vigor, or energy: pressed hard on the lever.3. In such a way as to cause great damage or hardship: industrial cities hit hard by unemployment.4. With great distress, grief, or bitterness: took the divorce hard.5. Firmly; securely: held hard to the railing.6. Toward or into a solid condition: concrete that sets hard within a day.7. Near in space or time; close: The factory stands hard by the railroad tracks.8. Nautical Completely; fully: hard alee.Idioms: hard and fast Defined, fixed, and invariable: hard and fast rules. hard of hearing1. Having a partial loss of hearing.2. People who have partial loss of hearing, considered as a group. hard put Undergoing great difficulty: Under the circumstances, he was hard put to explain himself. hard up Informal 1. In need; poor.2. Lacking something that is greatly desired: hard up for companionship.[Middle English, from Old English heard; see kar- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.hard (h??d) adj1. firm or rigid; not easily dented, crushed, or pierced2. toughened by or as if by physical labour; not soft or smooth: hard hands. 3. difficult to do or accomplish; arduous: a hard task. 4. difficult to understand or perceive: a hard question. 5. showing or requiring considerable physical or mental energy, effort, or application: hard work; a hard drinker. 6. stern, cold, or intractable: a hard judge. 7. exacting; demanding: a hard master. 8. harsh; cruel: a hard fate. 9. inflicting pain, sorrow, distress, or hardship: hard times. 10. tough or adamant: a hard man. 11. forceful or violent: a hard knock. 12. cool or uncompromising: we took a long hard look at our profit factor. 13. indisputable; real: hard facts. 14. (Chemistry) chem (of water) impairing the formation of a lather by soap. See hardness315. practical, shrewd, or calculating: he is a hard man in business. 16. too harsh to be pleasant: hard light. 17. (Banking & Finance) a. (of cash, money, etc) in coin and paper rather than chequesb. (of currency) in strong demand, esp as a result of a good balance of payments situationc. (of credit) difficult to obtain; tight18. (Brewing) (of alcoholic drink) being a spirit rather than a wine, beer, etc: the hard stuff. 19. (Pharmacology) (of a drug such as heroin, morphine, or cocaine) highly addictive. Compare soft2020. (General Physics) physics (of radiation, such as gamma rays and X-rays) having high energy and the ability to penetrate solids21. (General Physics) physics (of a vacuum) almost complete22. (Commerce) chiefly US (of goods) durable23. short for hard-core. See hard core3, hard core424. (Journalism & Publishing) (of news coverage) concentrating on serious stories25. (Broadcasting) (of news coverage) concentrating on serious stories26. (Phonetics & Phonology) phonetics a. an older word for fortisb. (not in modern technical usage) denoting the consonants c and g in English when they are pronounced as velar stops (k, g)c. (of consonants in the Slavonic languages) not palatalized27. (Fortifications) a. being heavily fortified and protectedb. (of nuclear missiles) located underground in massively reinforced silos28. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) politically extreme: the hard left. 29. informal Brit and NZ incorrigible or disreputable (esp in the phrase a hard case)30. (Cookery) (of bread, etc) stale and old31. a hard nut to crack a. a person not easily persuaded or won overb. a thing not easily understood32. hard by near; close by33. hard doer NZ a tough worker at anything34. hard done by unfairly or badly treated35. hard up informal a. in need of money; poorb. (foll by for) in great need (of): hard up for suggestions. 36. put the hard word on informal Austral and NZ to ask or demand something fromadv37. with great energy, force, or vigour: the team always played hard. 38. as far as possible; all the way: hard left. 39. with application; earnestly or intently: she thought hard about the formula. 40. with great intensity, force, or violence: his son’s death hit him hard. 41. (foll by: on, upon, by, or after) close; near: hard on his heels. 42. (foll by at) assiduously; devotedly43. a. with effort or difficulty: their victory was hard won. b. (in combination): hard-earned. 44. slowly and reluctantly: prejudice dies hard. 45. go hard with to cause pain or difficulty to (someone): it will go hard with you if you don’t tell the truth. 46. hard at it working hard47. hard put hard put to it scarcely having the capacity (to do something): he’s hard put to get to work by 9:30. n48. any colorant that produces a harsh coarse appearance49. (Civil Engineering) Brit a roadway across a foreshore50. slang hard labour51. slang an erection of the penis (esp in the phrase get or have a hard on)[Old English heard; related to Old Norse harthr, Old Frisian herd, Old High German herti, Gothic hardus hard, Greek kratus strong]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014hard (h?rd) adj. and adv. -er, -est. adj. 1. not soft; solid and firm to the touch. 2. firmly formed; tight: a hard knot. 3. difficult to do or accomplish; fatiguing; troublesome: a hard task. 4. difficult or troublesome with respect to an action, situation, person, etc.: hard to please. 5. difficult to deal with, manage, control, overcome, or understand: a hard problem. 6. involving a great deal of effort, energy, or persistence: hard labor. 7. performing or carrying on work with great effort, energy, or persistence: a hard worker. 8. vigorous or violent in force; severe: a hard fall. 9. bad; unendurable; unbearable: hard luck. 10. oppressive; harsh; rough: hard treatment. 11. austere; severe: a hard winter. 12. harsh or severe in dealing with others: a hard master. 13. difficult to explain away; undeniable: hard facts. 14. factual, as distinguished from speculation or hearsay: hard information. 15. harsh or unfriendly; resentful; bitter: hard feelings. 16. of stern judgment or close examination; searching: We took a hard look at our finances. 17. lacking delicacy or softness; clear and distinct; sharp; harsh: a hard line; hard features. 18. severe or rigorous in terms: a hard bargain. 19. sternly realistic; dispassionate; unsentimental: a hard view of life. 20. incorrigible; disreputable; tough: a hard character. 21. (of the penis) erect. 22. (of water) containing mineral salts that interfere with the action of soap. 23. in coins or paper money as distinguished from checks, promissory notes, or the like: hard cash. 24. (of paper money) backed by gold reserves and readily convertible into foreign currency. 25. (of assets) having intrinsic value, as gold or diamonds. 26. (of alcoholic beverages) a. containing more than 22.5 percent alcohol by volume, as whiskey and brandy as opposed to beer and wine. b. strong because of fermentation; intoxicating: hard cider. 27. (of wine) tasting excessively of tannin. 28. (of an illicit narcotic or drug) known to be physically addictive, as opium, morphine, or cocaine. 29. (of a fabric) having relatively little nap; smooth. 30. (of the landing of a space vehicle) executed without decelerating. 31. (of a missile) capable of being launched from an underground silo. 32. (of a military installation) heavily reinforced. 33. (of wheat) having a high gluten content. 34. a. (of c and g) pronounced as (k) in come and (g) in go. b. (of consonants) fortis. c. (of consonants in Slavic languages) not palatalized. Compare soft (def. 19). adv. 35. with great exertion; with vigor or violence; strenuously: to work hard. 36. earnestly, intently, or critically: to look hard at a decision. 37. harshly or severely. 38. so as to be solid, tight, or firm: frozen hard. 39. with strong force or impact: to be hit hard. 40. in a deeply affected manner; with genuine sorrow or remorse: He took the news very hard. 41. closely; immediately: Defeat seemed hard at hand. 42. to an unreasonable or extreme degree; excessively; immoderately. 43. Naut. closely, fully, or to the extreme limit: hard aport. Idioms: 1. be hard on, to deal harshly or strictly with. 2. hard by, in close proximity to; near. 3. hard put, in great perplexity or difficulty; at a loss: We are hard put to pay the rent now. 4. hard up, Informal. a. urgently in need of money. b. feeling a lack or need. [before 900; Middle English; Old English heard, c. Old Saxon hard, Old High German hart, Old Norse harthr, Gothic hardus; akin to Greek kratýs strong, Ionic dial. kártos strength (compare -cracy)] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.hard – hardly1. ‘hard’Hard can be an adjective. If something is hard, it is not easy to do.Hard can also be an adverb. For example, if you work hard, you work with a lot of effort.Hardly is an adverb. It has a totally different meaning from hard. You use hardly to modify a statement when you want to emphasize that only a small amount or detail makes it true, and it is best to consider the opposite as true. For example, if someone hardly speaks, they do not speak much. If something is hardly surprising, it is not very surprising.If you use an auxiliary verb or modal with hardly, you put the auxiliary verb or modal first. You say, for example, ‘I can hardly see’. Don’t say ‘I hardly can see’.Be Careful!Don’t use ‘not’ with hardly. Don’t say, for example, ‘I did not hardly know him’. Say ‘I hardly knew him’.Hardly is sometimes used in longer structures to say that one thing happened immediately after another.Be Careful!In structures like these you use when, not ‘than’. Don’t say, for example, ‘The local police had hardly finished their search than the detectives arrived’.In stories, hardly is sometimes put at the beginning of a sentence, followed by had or the verb be and the subject.If something hardly ever happens, it almost never happens.