American Dictionary

Define dictionary terms easily in our powerful online English dictionary.

Searching for...

No matching words found

Try a different search term or browse the dictionary

Definition hard in American English

hard adjective

adjective
/hɑrd/
1

stiff, firm, and not easy to bend or break

Example

hard wooden benches

Example

The plastic was chosen because it is very hard and durable.

Synonyms and related words
2

difficult to do

Example

Some of the questions were very hard.

Example

It is hard for young people to get jobs in this area.

Example

It's hard to explain why I love this place so much.

Example

I found the English test extremely hard.

Example

I find it hard to believe that we're leaving the South for good.

Synonyms and related words
Example

Lifting stones this size is pretty hard work.

Example

I need to relax at the end of a hard day.

Synonyms and related words
3

unpleasant and full of problems

Example

My grandmother had a very hard life.

Example

The family has had a hard time recently.

Example

It's very hard on parents when their children are rebellious.

Synonyms and related words
Example

He likes to pretend he's hard, but he's really soft underneath.

Synonyms and related words
5

unkind, or cruel

Example

She was deeply hurt by his hard words.

Example

Don't be too hard on her, she was only trying to help.

Synonyms and related words
Example

He gave the door a hard shove, and it opened.

Synonyms and related words
7

hard water does not mix easily with soap because it contains a lot of minerals

Synonyms and related words
8

a hard winter is a very cold winter

Synonyms and related words
8.1

a hard frost is very severe

Synonyms and related words
9

hard facts are certain and can be proved

Example

We need some hard evidence to support our claim.

Synonyms and related words
Example

The region saw a boom in the 1950s to 1970s but fell on hard times in the 1980s.

11

to experience lots of difficulties doing something

Example

He had a hard time launching his new business project.

Definition hard in American English

Related Words

Words related to hard:

a row to hoe (phrase) as hard as nails (phrase) be () between a rock and a hard place (phrase) be a act to follow (phrase) be (phrase) be hard on something (phrase) be hard to do something (phrase) be hard to beat (phrase) be hard-pressed (to do something) (phrase) hard done by (phrase) disk (noun) do something the hard way (phrase) do the hard yards (phrase) drive a hard bargain (phrase) follow (hard) on the heels of something (phrase) give someone a hard time (phrase) hard (adjective) hard (adverb) hard at it (phrase) hard at work (phrase) hard Brexit (noun) hard case (noun) hard cash (noun) hard copy (noun) hard core (noun) hard court (noun) hard currency (noun) hard disk (noun) hard drive (noun) hard drug (noun) hard going (adjective) hard labor (noun) hard launch (noun) hard launch (verb) hard money (noun) hard of hearing (adjective) hard on someone’s heels (phrase) hard on the heels of something (phrase) hard pass (noun) hard (phrase) hard rock (noun) hard sell (noun) hard stop (noun) hard to come by (phrase) hard to (phrase) hard up (adjective) hard yards (noun) hard-and-fast (adjective) hard-ass (adjective) hard-ass (noun) hard-bitten (adjective) hard-boiled (adjective) hard-core (adjective) hard-drinking (adjective) hard-earned (adjective) hard-edged (adjective) hard-fought (adjective) hard-headed (adjective) hard-hearted (adjective) hard-hitting (adjective) hard-luck (adjective) hard-luck story (phrase) hard-nosed (adjective) hard-on (noun) hard-pressed (adjective) hard-working (adjective) () on the heels of (phrase) as nails (phrase) hardwire (verb) hardwired (adjective) it’s enough (phrase) learn the hard way (phrase) no hard feelings (phrase) old habits die hard (phrase) over-hard (adjective) palate (noun) play hard to get (phrase) rock-hard (adjective) roll hard (verb) soft drug (noun) take a hard line (phrase) take a long hard look at (phrase) take something hard (phrase) the school of hard knocks (noun) (the) hard stuff (phrase)