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hard

Hard is the opposite of "easy." If you're just beginning an exercise routine, don't push yourself too hard in the beginning, to avoid injury.

Hard can mean "difficult," but it can also mean "rigid." A hard surface is one that doesn’t give way, like stone. If things are tough for you, you might tell someone you’re having a hard day. If someone gives you hard liquor, watch out — that’s the strong stuff. If you’re a teacher, you want to make your examinations hard enough to be challenging, but not impossible. If you’re stubborn, people might call you hardheaded.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: hard

1
 adjadv
resisting weight or pressure
into a solid condition
2
 adjadv
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
with firmness
3
 adjadv
dispassionate
earnestly or intently
4
 adjadv
very strong or vigorous
to the full extent possible; all the way
5
 adjadv
given to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites especially for intoxicating liquors
indulging excessively
6
 adj
produced without vibration of the vocal cords
7
 adj
(of light) transmitted directly from a pointed light source
8
 adj
being distilled rather than fermented; having a high alcoholic content
9
 adv
very near or close in space or time
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: hard
1

adj resisting weight or pressure

Synonyms
adamantine
having the hardness of a diamond
al dente
of pasta cooked so as to be firm when eaten
corneous, hornlike, horny
made of horn (or of a substance resembling horn)
erect, tumid
of sexual organs; stiff and rigid
firm, solid
not soft or yielding to pressure
granitelike, granitic, rocklike, stony
hard as granite
hardened, set
converted to solid form (as concrete)
woody
made hard like wood as the result of the deposition of lignin in the cell walls
petrous, stonelike
(of bone especially the temporal bone) resembling stone in hardness
semihard
somewhat hard
steely
resembling steel in hardness
unyielding
resistant to physical force or pressure
Antonyms:
soft
yielding readily to pressure or weight
brushed, fleecy, napped
(of fabrics) having soft nap produced by brushing
cheeselike
having the consistency of cheese
compressible, squeezable
capable of being easily compressed
cottony
resembling cotton; as soft as cotton
cushioned, cushiony, padded
softened by the addition of cushions or padding
demulcent, emollient, salving, softening
having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin
downlike, downy, flossy, fluffy
like down or as soft as down
flaccid
drooping without elasticity; wanting in stiffness
flocculent, woolly, wooly
having a fluffy character or appearance
yielding
lacking stiffness and giving way to pressure
mushy
having the consistency of mush
overstuffed
upholstered thickly and deeply
semisoft, softish
somewhat soft
spongelike, spongy, squashy, squishy
easily squashed; resembling a sponge in having soft porous texture and compressibility
velvet, velvety
resembling velvet in having a smooth soft surface
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adj dried out

“hard dry rolls left over from the day before”
Synonyms
stale
lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age

adv into a solid condition

“concrete that sets hard within a few hours”
2

adj not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

“why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?”
Synonyms:
difficult
demanding
requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill
ambitious, challenging
requiring full use of your abilities or resources
arduous
difficult to accomplish; demanding considerable mental effort and skill
awkward, embarrassing, sticky, unenviable
hard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment
baffling, elusive, knotty, problematic, problematical, tough
making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe
catchy, tricky
having concealed difficulty
delicate, ticklish, touchy
difficult to handle; requiring great tact
fractious
unpredictably difficult in operation; likely to be troublesome
hard-fought
requiring great effort
herculean
extremely difficult; requiring the strength of a Hercules
nasty, tight
exasperatingly difficult to handle or circumvent
rocky, rough
full of hardship or trials
rugged, tough
very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution
serious
requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve
tall
impressively difficult
thorny
bristling with perplexities
troublesome
difficult to deal with
trying
hard to endure
vexed
causing difficulty in finding an answer or solution; much disputed
effortful
requiring great physical effort
Antonyms:
easy
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
undemanding
requiring little if any patience or effort or skill
casual, effortless
not showing effort or strain
clean
without difficulties or problems
cushy, easygoing, soft
not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship
elementary, simple, uncomplicated, unproblematic
easy and not involved or complicated
hands-down
achieved without great effort
painless
requiring little hard work or exertion
simplified
made easy or uncomplicated
smooth
lacking obstructions or difficulties
user-friendly
easy to use
effortless
requiring or apparently requiring no effort
soft
compassionate and kind; conciliatory
simple
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
show more antonyms...

adj characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort

“hard labor”
Synonyms:
arduous, backbreaking, grueling, gruelling, heavy, laborious, operose, punishing, toilsome
effortful
requiring great physical effort

adj unfortunate or hard to bear

“had hard luck”
Synonyms:
tough
bad
having undesirable or negative qualities

adv with firmness

“held hard to the railing”
Synonyms:
firmly

adv with effort or force or vigor

“the team played hard”
“worked hard all day”
“pressed hard on the lever”
“hit the ball hard”
“slammed the door hard”

adv with pain or distress or bitterness

“he took the rejection very hard”

adv causing great damage or hardship

“industries hit hard by the depression”
Synonyms:
severely

adv slowly and with difficulty

“prejudices die hard”
3

adj dispassionate

“took a hard look”
“a hard bargainer”
Synonyms
difficult
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
calculating, calculative, conniving, scheming, shrewd
used of persons
case-hardened, hard-boiled, hardened
used of persons; emotionally hardened
steely
resembling steel as in hardness
merciless, unmerciful
having or showing no mercy
insensitive
deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally sensitive
tough
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
Antonyms:
soft
compassionate and kind; conciliatory
mellow
having attained to kindliness or gentleness through age and experience
tender
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
warmhearted
marked by warmth of feeling like kindness and sympathy and generosity
show more antonyms...

adv earnestly or intently

“thought hard about it”
“stared hard at the accused”
4

adj very strong or vigorous

“a hard left to the chin”
Synonyms:
knockout, severe
strong
having strength or power greater than average or expected

adv to the full extent possible; all the way

“hard alee”
“the ship went hard astern”
“swung the wheel hard left”
5

adj given to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites especially for intoxicating liquors

“a hard drinker”
Synonyms:
heavy, intemperate
indulgent
characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone

adv indulging excessively

Synonyms:
heavily, intemperately
Antonyms:
lightly
indulging with temperance
6

adj produced without vibration of the vocal cords

Synonyms:
surd, unvoiced, voiceless
whispered
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
Antonyms:
soft, sonant, voiced
produced with vibration of the vocal cords

adj (of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward or touching the velum

“Russian distinguished between hard consonants and palatalized or soft consonants”
Synonyms
velar
produced with the back of the tongue touching or near the soft palate (as `k' in `cat' and `g' in `gun' and `ng' in `sing')
Antonyms:
soft
(of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as `s' and `sh')
continuant, fricative, sibilant, spirant, strident
of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then')
palatal, palatalised, palatalized
produced with the front of the tongue near or touching the hard palate (as `y') or with the blade of the tongue near the hard palate (as `ch' in `chin' or `j' in `gin')
show more antonyms...
7

adj (of light) transmitted directly from a pointed light source

Synonyms:
concentrated
Antonyms:
diffuse, diffused, soft
(of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected
8

adj being distilled rather than fermented; having a high alcoholic content

“hard liquor”
Synonyms:
strong
alcoholic
characteristic of or containing alcohol
9

adv very near or close in space or time

“it stands hard by the railroad tracks”
“they were hard on his heels”
“a strike followed hard upon the plant's opening”
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