Meaning of hard In English

• 0 not easy to bend, cut, or break:

  • a hard surface

  • There was a heavy frost last night and the ground is still hard.

  • Heating the clay makes it hard.

• 1 difficult to understand, do, experience, or deal with:

  • There were some really hard questions in the exam.

  • It's hard to say which of them is lying.

  • It's hard being a single mother.

  • Her handwriting is very hard to read.

  • He's a hard man to please.

  • The topics get harder later in the course.

  • I feel sorry for the kids, too - they've had a hard time.

• 2 needing or using a lot of physical or mental effort:

  • Go on - give it a good hard push!

  • It was hard work on the farm but satisfying.

• 3 not pleasant or gentle; severe:

  • You have to be quite hard to succeed in the property business.

  • Ooh, you're a hard woman, Elaine!

  • Our boss has been giving us all a hard time at work (= making our time at work difficult).

  • Life can be hard at times for these nomadic people.

  • Don't be too hard on him - he's new to the job.

• 4 A hard drink contains a high level of alcohol:

  • hard liquor

• 5 Hard water contains a high level of minerals that prevent soap from cleaning.

• 6 able to be proved:

  • hard facts/evidence

• 7 used to describe a time when there is bad weather:

  • We had a very hard winter last year.

• 8 with a lot of physical or mental effort:

  • Work hard and play hard, that's my motto.

  • I'm not surprised he failed his exam - he didn't exactly try very hard!

• 9 If it rains or snows hard, it rains or snows a lot:

  • It had been raining hard most of the afternoon.

• 10 firm and solid, or not easy to bend, cut, or break:

  • It hadn’t rained in a long time, and the ground was hard.

  • He chewed on something hard and was afraid he’d broken a tooth.

• 11 difficult to understand or do:

  • hard questions to answer

  • [ + to infinitive ] It’s hard to say which of them is lying.

  • It’s hard being a working mother.

  • [ + to infinitive ] Her handwriting is hard to read.

  • She always does things the hard way (= makes things more difficult to do).

  • I find her books hard going (= difficult and tiring).

• 12 needing or using a lot of physical or mental effort:

  • Qualifying as a surgeon is hard work.

  • We had fun cycling, but it was hard to go up the hills.

• 13 not pleasant or gentle; severe:

  • She’s had a hard life.

  • His boss is giving him a hard time (= is being unpleasant to him).

  • Don’t be too hard on her – she’s just learning the job.

  • I’m very hard on shoes.

• 14 (of a drug) dangerous and addictive (= giving you the habit of taking it), or (of a drink) containing a large amount of alcohol

• 15 able to be proven:

  • hard evidence

• 16 with a lot of physical or mental effort:

  • You have to push the door hard to open it.

  • hard-earned money/knowledge/fame

  • hard-won freedoms/battles

• 17 in a severe or forceful way:

  • They took the defeat hard.

  • It’s raining hard.

  • She stepped on my toe really hard.

• 18 used to describe information that can be proved:

  • hard facts/figures/numbers There are no hard numbers on viewership levels.

  • The report documented hard evidence of problems at the refinery, including long overdue or bypassed inspections.

• 19 used to describe a market in which prices are high:

  • The best time to market for new business that will carry you through a soft market is when the market is hard.

  • Many experts expect the hard market to last for at least 18 months, allowing the company to boost margins by more than 10 per cent.

• 20 difficult to believe or accept:

  • With European governments having so much invested in the company, outsourcing and downsizing have been hard to swallow.