hard

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See also: Hard, härd, and hård

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English hard, from Old English heard, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic *harduz, from Proto-Indo-European *kort-ús, from *kret- (“strong, powerful”). Cognate with German hart, Swedish hård, Ancient Greek κρατύς (kratús), Sanskrit क्रतु (krátu), Avestan 𐬑𐬭𐬀𐬙𐬎‎ (xratu).

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

hard (comparative harder, superlative hardest)

  1. (of material or fluid) Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
    1. Resistant to pressure.
      This bread is so stale and hard, I can barely cut it.
    2. (of drink or drugs) Strong.
    3. (of a normally nonalcoholic drink) Containing alcohol.
      hard cider, hard lemonade, hard seltzer, hard soda
    4. (of water) High in dissolved chemical salts, especially those of calcium.
    5. (physics, of a ferromagnetic material) Having the capability of being a permanent magnet by being a material with high magnetic coercivity (compare soft).
    6. (photography, of light) Made up of parallel rays, producing clearly defined shadows.
  2. (personal or social) Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
    1. Difficult or requiring a lot of effort to do, understand, experience, or deal with.
      a hard problem;  a hard question;  a hard topic
      • 1988, An Oracle, Edmund White
        Ray found it hard to imagine having accumulated so many mannerisms before the dawn of sex, of the sexual need to please, of the staginess sex encourages or the tightly capped wells of poisoned sexual desire the disappointed must stand guard over.
      • 2013 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32:
        The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters such as ostrich, wild boar and crocodile.
    2. Demanding a lot of effort to endure.
      a hard life
    3. Severe, harsh, unfriendly, brutal.
      a hard master;  a hard heart;  hard words;  a hard character
      don't be so hard on yourself
      The senator asked the party chief to put the hard word on his potential rivals.
    4. (dated) Difficult to resist or control; powerful.
    5. (military) Hardened; having unusually strong defences.
      a hard site
  3. Unquestionable, unequivocal.
    hard evidence;  a hard requirement
    • 1796, The History of the Trial of Warren Hastings‎[1]:
      […] for, unless supported by hard facts, abusive words would recoil on him who used them, and would pass like empty air over the head of an innocent man.
    • 1962, The Selling Power of a Woman‎[2]:
      Here are a few techniques to turn a hard "no" into an easy "yes"!
    • 2011 December 19, Kerry Brown, “Kim Jong-il obituary”, in The Guardian:
      Unsurprisingly for a man who went into mourning for three years after the death in 1994 of his own father, the legendary leader Kim Il-sung, and who in the first 30 years of his political career made no public statements, even to his own people, Kim's career is riddled with claims, counter claims, speculation, and contradiction. There are few hard facts about his birth and early years.
  4. (of a road intersection) Having a comparatively larger or a ninety-degree angle.
    At the intersection, there are two roads going to the left. Take the hard left.
  5. (slang, vulgar, of a male) Sexually aroused; erect.
    I got so hard watching two hot guys wrestle each other on the beach.
  6. (bodybuilding) Having muscles that are tightened as a result of intense, regular exercise.
  7. (phonetics, not comparable)
    1. Plosive.
      There is a hard c in "clock" and a soft c in "centre".
    2. Unvoiced
      Hard k, t, s, ch, as distinguished from soft, g, d, z, j.
    3. Velarized or plain, rather than palatalized
      The letter ж (ž) in Russian is always hard.
  8. (art) Having a severe property; presenting a barrier to enjoyment.
    1. Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition.
    2. Having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in colour or shading.
  9. (not comparable)
    1. In a physical form, not digital.
      a soft or hard copy ; a digital or hard archive
    2. Using a manual or physical process, not by means of a software command.
      a hard reboot or reset
  10. (politics) Far, extreme.
    hard right, hard left
  11. Of silk: not having had the natural gum boiled off.

Synonyms[edit]

Antonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

  • Pages starting with “hard”.

    • Related terms[edit]

    Descendants[edit]

    • → Finnish: haarti

    Translations[edit]

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Adverb[edit]

    hard (comparative harder, superlative hardest)

    1. (manner) With much force or effort.
      He hit the puck hard up the ice.
      They worked hard all week.
      At the intersection, bear hard left.
      The recession hit them especially hard.
      Think hard about your choices.
    2. (manner) With difficulty.
      His degree was hard earned.
    3. (obsolete) So as to raise difficulties.
    4. (manner) Compactly.
      The lake had finally frozen hard.
    5. (now archaic) Near, close.

    Derived terms[edit]

    Translations[edit]

    Noun[edit]

    hard (countable and uncountable, plural hards)

    1. (countable, nautical) A firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
      • 1952, Edward John Barrington Douglas-Scott-Montagu Baron Montagu, Beaulieu, the Abbey, Palace House, and Buckler's Hard (page 36)
        The Monastery's ironworks at Sowley were renowned for centuries but declined with the passing of the 'wooden walls' at Buckler's Hard — a great number of these ships having been built with timber from the Beaulieu Woods […]
    2. (countable, motorsports) A tyre whose compound is softer than superhards, and harder than mediums.
    3. (uncountable, drugs, slang) Crack cocaine.
    4. (uncountable, slang) Hard labor.
      The prisoners were sentenced to three years' hard.

    Anagrams[edit]

    Dutch[edit]

    Pronunciation[edit]

    Etymology 1[edit]

    From Middle Dutch hart, from Old Dutch hart, from Proto-Germanic *harduz.

    Adjective[edit]

    hard (comparative harder, superlative hardst)

    1. hard, strong
      Antonym: zacht
    2. (economics, of a currency) strong, not easily devalued
    3. unquestionable, uncontestable
      harde feiten
      hard facts
    4. heartless, unsympathetic (of a person)
      Antonym: zacht
    5. hard, difficult
      een harde strijd
      a difficult fight
    6. harsh, heavy
      harde straffen
      harsh punishments
      een harde regen
      heavy rain
    7. hard, rich in calcium (of water)
      Antonym: zacht
    8. loud (of sound)
      Synonym: luid
      Antonym: zacht
    Inflection[edit]
    Inflection of hard
    uninflected hard
    inflected harde
    comparative harder
    positive comparative superlative
    predicative/adverbial hard harder het hardst
    het hardste
    indefinite m./f. sing. harde hardere hardste
    n. sing. hard harder hardste
    plural harde hardere hardste
    definite harde hardere hardste
    partitive hards harders —
    Derived terms[edit]

    Etymology 2[edit]

    (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

    Adverb[edit]

    hard

    1. (speed) fast, swiftly
      Ik heb een bekeuring gekregen omdat ik te hard heb gereden.
      I got a ticket because I drove too fast.
    2. very
    3. loudly

    Etymology 3[edit]

    See the etymology of the main entry.

    Verb[edit]

    hard

    1. first-person singular present indicative of harden
    2. imperative of harden

    French[edit]

    Etymology[edit]

    Borrowed from English hard.

    Pronunciation[edit]

    Adjective[edit]

    hard (plural hards)

    1. (of pornography) hardcore
      Des photos hards.
      Hardcore pictures.

    Noun[edit]

    hard m (plural hards)

    1. hardcore pornography
      Le Journal du hard est une émission de Canal + dédiée au cinéma pornographique.
      Le Journal du hard ("Hard Porn News") is a broadcast by Canal+ dedicated to pornographic films.
    2. hard rock
      Elle adore le hard et le headbang.
      She just loves hard rock and headbanging.
      • 2004, Thomas Mansier, Identité du rock et presse spécialisée. Évolution d'une culture et de son discours critique dans les magazines français des années 90, page 98.
        Le hard semble ainsi capable de remplir le contrat originel du rock.
        As such, hard rock seems capable of fulfilling the original purpose of rock.
      • 2014, Christian Eudeline, "Uriah Heep. Look At Yourself", in Du hard rock au métal. Les 100 albums cultes, Gründ (publ.).
        Au croisement du hard et du prog, Uriah Heep […] enregistre là son meilleur disque, pourtant, leurs paroles pseudo-lyriques et leurs envolées déplaisaient.
        At the crossroads of hard rock and prog rock, Uriah Heep […] records its best disc there; however, their pseudo-lyrical texts and their take-offs were disliked.

    Irish[edit]

    Pronunciation[edit]

    Adjective[edit]

    hard

    1. h-prothesized form of ard

    Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

    Etymology[edit]

    From Old Norse harðr, from Proto-Germanic *harduz.

    Adjective[edit]

    hard (neuter singular hardt, definite singular and plural harde, comparative hardere, indefinite superlative hardest, definite superlative hardeste)

    1. hard (not soft)
    2. hard, stern, severe
    3. hardy

    Derived terms[edit]

    Related terms[edit]

    References[edit]

    Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

    Etymology[edit]

    From Old Norse harðr, from Proto-Germanic *harduz.

    Pronunciation[edit]

    Adjective[edit]

    hard (masculine and feminine hard, neuter hardt, definite singular and plural harde, comparative hardare, indefinite superlative hardast, definite superlative hardaste)

    1. hard
    2. hard, stern, severe
    3. hardy

    Derived terms[edit]

    References[edit]

    Old Saxon[edit]

    Etymology[edit]

    From Proto-Germanic *harduz.

    Adjective[edit]

    hard (comparative hardiro, superlative hardist)

    1. hard

    Declension[edit]

    Positive forms of hard
    Strong declension
    gender masculine feminine neuter
    case singular plural singular plural singular plural
    nominative hard harde, harda hard harda hard hard, harda
    accusative hardan, harden harda, harde harda harda hard hard, harda
    genitive hardes, hardas hardaro, hardoro, hardero hardara, hardaro hardaro, hardoro, hardero hardes, hardas hardaro, hardoro, hardero
    dative hardumu, hardum, hardun, hardun, hardon, harden, hardan hardun, hardon, hardum hardaro, hardaru, hardara hardun, hardon hardumu, hardum, hardun, hardun, hardon, harden, hardan hardun, hardon, hardum
    Weak declension
    gender masculine feminine neuter
    case singular plural singular plural singular plural
    nominative hardo, harda hardon, hardun harda, harde hardon, hardun, hardan harda, harde hardon, hardun
    accusative hardon, hardan hardon, hardun hardun, hardon, hardan hardon, hardun, hardan harda, harde hardon, hardun
    genitive harden, hardan hardono, hardeno hardun, hardan, harden hardono harden, hardan hardono, hardeno
    dative hardon, harden, hardan hardon, hardun hardun, hardan hardon, hardun hardon, harden, hardan hardon, hardun


    Comparative forms of hard (weak only)
    Weak declension
    gender masculine feminine neuter
    case singular plural singular plural singular plural
    nominative hardiro, hardira hardiron, hardirun hardira, hardire hardiron, hardirun, hardiran hardira, hardire hardiron, hardirun
    accusative hardiron, hardiran hardiron, hardirun hardirun, hardiron, hardiran hardiron, hardirun, hardiran hardira, hardire hardiron, hardirun
    genitive hardiren, hardiran hardirono, hardireno hardirun, hardiran, hardiren hardirono hardiren, hardiran hardirono, hardireno
    dative hardiron, hardiren, hardiran hardiron, hardirun hardirun, hardiran hardiron, hardirun hardiron, hardiren, hardiran hardiron, hardirun


    Superlative forms of hard
    Strong declension
    gender masculine feminine neuter
    case singular plural singular plural singular plural
    nominative hardist hardiste, hardista hardist hardista hardist hardist, hardista
    accusative hardistan, hardisten hardista, hardiste hardista hardista hardist hardist, hardista
    genitive hardistes, hardistas hardistaro, hardistoro, hardistero hardistara, hardistaro hardistaro, hardistoro, hardistero hardistes, hardistas hardistaro, hardistoro, hardistero
    dative hardistumu, hardistum, hardistun, hardistun, hardiston, hardisten, hardistan hardistun, hardiston, hardistum hardistaro, hardistaru, hardistara hardistun, hardiston hardistumu, hardistum, hardistun, hardistun, hardiston, hardisten, hardistan hardistun, hardiston, hardistum
    Weak declension
    gender masculine feminine neuter
    case singular plural singular plural singular plural
    nominative hardisto, hardista hardiston, hardistun hardista, hardiste hardiston, hardistun, hardistan hardista, hardiste hardiston, hardistun
    accusative hardiston, hardistan hardiston, hardistun hardistun, hardiston, hardistan hardiston, hardistun, hardistan hardista, hardiste hardiston, hardistun
    genitive hardisten, hardistan hardistono, hardisteno hardistun, hardistan, hardisten hardistono hardisten, hardistan hardistono, hardisteno
    dative hardiston, hardisten, hardistan hardiston, hardistun hardistun, hardistan hardiston, hardistun hardiston, hardisten, hardistan hardiston, hardistun


    Derived terms[edit]

    Descendants[edit]

    • Low German: hard, hart (inflected hart-)

    Spanish[edit]

    Etymology[edit]

    From English hard

    Adjective[edit]

    hard (invariable)

    1. hard, heavy, hardcore
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