Search results for 'hard':

hard adj 1 said of a substance: resistant to scratching or indentation; firm; solid. 2 toughened; not soft or smooth • hard skin. 3 difficult to do, understand, solve or explain. 4 using, needing or done with a great deal of effort. 5 demanding • a hard master. 6 harsh; cruel. 7 tough or violent • a hard man. 8 said of weather: severe. 9 forceful • a hard knock. 10 cool or uncompromising • The • managers took a long hard look at sales figures. 11 causing hardship, pain or sorrow • hard times. 12 harsh and unpleasant to the senses • a hard light. 13 said of information, etc: proven and reliable • hard facts. 14 shrewd or calculating • a hard businesswoman. 15 said of water: containing calcium or magnesium salts, and tending to produce an insoluble scum instead of a lather with soap. 16 said of a drug: highly addictive. 17 said of an alcoholic drink: very strong, especially one which is a spirit rather than a beer or wine, etc. 18 politically extreme • hard right • hard left. 19 phonetics, non-technical said of the sounds of certain consonants: produced as a stop rather than a fricative, as eg the c in cat and the g in got. Compare soft. 20 said of currency: in strong demand due to having a stable value and exchange rate. 21 said of credit: difficult to obtain. 22 said of pornography: sexually explicit. 23 as a classification of pencil leads: indicating durable quality and faintness in use. 24 said of photographic paper: giving a high degree of image contrast. 25 said of radiation: having high energy and the ability to penetrate solids. 26 chiefly US said of goods: durable. 27 said of nuclear missiles: located underground. adverb 1 with great effort or energy • She works hard. 2 in compounds achieved in the specified way with difficulty or as a result of great effort • a hard-won victory • hard-earned results. 3 earnestly or intently • He thought hard to find a solution. 4 with great intensity • The news hit us hard. noun 1 a firm beach or foreshore. 2 colloq hard labour. hardness noun. be hard going to be difficult to do. be hard put to do something to have difficulty doing it. go hard with someone to be unpleasant or difficult for them. hard after or by or on or upon someone or something close or near them or it. hard as nails said of a person: very hard; callous, very tough. hard at it working hard; very busy. hard by close by. hard done by colloq unfairly treated. hard hit severely affected by a problem, trouble, etc or by love. hard of hearing partially deaf. hard on someone's heels following immediately after them. hard up colloq in need of money. hard up for something colloq in great need of it • hard up for new ideas. no hard feelings said as a result of a defeat, etc: no offence taken, no animosity. the hard way through personal endeavours or difficulties.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon heard.