hard

Universal Words adjective, adverb adjective (harder, hardest) solid / stiff 1 solid, firm or stiff and difficult to bend or break: Wait for the concrete to go hard. * a hard mattress * Diamonds are the hardest known mineral. OPPSOFT difficult 2 ~ (for sb) (to do sth) difficult to do, understand or answer: a hard choice / question * It is hard to believe that she's only nine. * It's hard to see how they can lose. * 'When will the job be finished?' 'It's hard to say.' (= it is difficult to be certain) * I find his attitude very hard to take (= difficult to accept). * You are hard to please, aren't you? * It's hard for old people to change their ways. * It must be hard for her, bringing up four children on her own. * We're finding reliable staff hard to come by (= difficult to get). OPPEASY 3 full of difficulty and problems, especially because of a lack of money SYNTOUGH: Times were hard at the end of the war. * She's had a hard life. OPPEASY needing / using effort 4 needing or using a lot of physical strength or mental effort: It's hard work shovelling snow. * I've had a long hard day. * This season has been a hard slog. * They had put in hours of hard graft. 5 (of people) putting a lot of effort or energy into an activity: She's a very hard worker. * He's hard at work on a new novel. * When I left they were all still hard at it (= working hard). 6 done with a lot of strength or force: He gave the door a good hard kick. * a hard punch without sympathy 7 showing no sympathy or affection: My father was a hard man. * She gave me a hard stare. * His voice was hard. * He said some very hard things to me. not afraid 8 (informal) (of people) ready to fight and showing no signs of fear or weakness: Come and get me if you think you're hard enough. * You think you're really hard, don't you? facts / evidence 9 [onlybeforenoun] definitely true and based on information that can be proved: Is there any hard evidence either way? * The newspaper story is based on hard facts. weather 10 very cold and severe: It had been a hard winter. * There was a hard frost that night. compareMILD drink 11 [onlybeforenoun] strongly alcoholic: hard liquor * (informal) a drop of the hard stuff (= a strong alcoholic drink) compareSOFTDRINK water 12 containing CALCIUM and other mineral salts that make mixing with soap difficult: a hard water area * Our water is very hard. OPPSOFT consonants 13 (phonetics) used to describe a letter c or g when pronounced as in 'cat' or 'go', rather than as in 'city' or 'giant' OPPSOFT hardness noun [U]: water hardness * hardness of heart IDIOMS be hard on sb/sth 1 to treat or criticize sb in a very severe or strict way: Don't be too hard on him-he's very young. 2 to be difficult for or unfair to sb/sth: It's hard on people who don't have a car. 3 to be likely to hurt or damage sth: Looking at a computer screen all day can be very hard on the eyes. drive / strike a hard bargain to argue in an aggressive way and force sb to agree on the best possible price or arrangement give sb a hard time to deliberately make a situation difficult and unpleasant for sb: They really gave me a hard time at the interview. hard and fast (especially after a negative) that cannot be changed in any circumstances: There are no hard and fast rules about this. * This situation isn't hard and fast. (as) hard as nails showing no sympathy, kindness or fear hard cheese (BrE, informal) used as a way of saying that you are sorry about sth, usually in an IRONIC way (= you really mean the opposite) hard going difficult to understand or needing a lot of effort: I'm finding his latest novel very hard going. hard luck / lines (BrE) used to tell sb that you feel sorry for them: 'Failed again, I'm afraid.' 'Oh, hard luck.' the hard way by having an unpleasant experience or by making mistakes: She won't listen to my advice so she'll just have to learn the hard way. make hard work of sth to use more time or energy on a task than is necessary no hard feelings used to tell sb that you no longer feel any anger towards them: Someone's got to lose. No hard feelings, Dave, eh? play hard to get (informal) to make yourself seem more attractive or interesting by not immediately accepting an invitation to do sth too much like hard work needing too much effort: I can't be bothered making a hot meal-it's too much like hard work. moreatJOB, NUTn., ROCKn. adverb (harder, hardest) with effort 1 with great effort; with difficulty: to work hard * to fight / struggle hard * You must try harder. * She tried her hardest not to show how disappointed she was. * Don't hit it so hard! * He was still breathing hard after his run. * Our victory was hard won (= won with great difficulty). with force 2 with great force: (figurative) Small businesses have been hit hard / hard hit by the recession. carefully 3 very carefully and thoroughly: to think / look / listen hard * We thought long and hard before deciding to move house. a lot 4 heavily; a lot or for a long time: It was raining hard when we set off. * to laugh / cry hard left / right 5 at a sharp angle to the left/right: Turn hard right at the next junction. IDIOMS be / feel hard done by (informal) to be or feel unfairly treated: She has every right to feel hard done by-her parents have given her nothing. be hard pressed / pushed to do sth