hard 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhärd How to pronounce hard (audio)
Definition of hardnext
1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort clearing land is hard work a hard exam to pass

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings a hard man, who never had a kind word for anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure they were forced to import sheep of a harder stock, one that could thrive in the harsh climate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in reasonable
based on sound reasoning or information do you have any hard evidence that this was once the site of a Native American village?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in tough
difficult to endure the hard life of a migrant farm worker

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect a carpet that withstood years of hard wear

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint a hard disciplinarian who is quick to punish the tiniest violation of the rules

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in solid
having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure hard candies fell on the hard floor and bruised her arm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in stable
having been established and usually not subject to change there isn't always a hard line between right and wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in sore
having or showing deep-seated resentment maintained hard feelings toward those who had cheated him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in adamant
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion a woman with a hard will who never budged from her chosen path

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in historical
restricted to or based on fact that newscast is strictly devoted to hard news, as the producers prefer to leave the gossip to others

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hard

2 of 2

adverb

1
as in intensively
with great effort or determination we took a much-needed break after working hard all week a hard-won victory

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief took the news of their grandfather's death hard

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in strongly
in a vigorous and forceful manner hit the ball hard, causing it to soar out of bounds the wind blew hard all day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in close
at, within, or to a short distance or time the groom stood hard by, ready to help, as the lady mounted the skittish horse

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering the dog had been treated hard by his previous owner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hard different from other adjectives like it?

The words arduous and difficult are common synonyms of hard. While all three words mean "demanding great exertion or effort," hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.

farming is hard work

In what contexts can arduous take the place of hard?

In some situations, the words arduous and hard are roughly equivalent. However, arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.

the arduous task of rebuilding

When would difficult be a good substitute for hard?

The words difficult and hard can be used in similar contexts, but difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage.

the difficult ascent of the mountain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hard
Adjective
Practicing being hard to reach tends to shift (if not sour) some of one’s relationships. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026 This yearly bottleneck worsens as changing fee structures make costs hard to predict. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Adverb
The 65-year-old father of Miley Cyrus and the 61-year-old star of Serving Sara hard-launched their relationship on Easter Sunday, 2025, and the pair have been seemingly inseparable ever since. — Chiara Pizzimenti, Vanity Fair, 17 Oct. 2026 Bass goes to Ramanland Bass went hard after Raman at this week’s NBC4/Telemundo 52 debate, accusing her of neglecting constituents in her district, which stretches from Silver Lake to the San Fernando Valley. — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard
  1. difficult
  2. ruthless
  3. sturdy
  4. reasonable
  5. tough
  6. intense
  7. strict
  8. solid
Adjective
  • The problem, Snegovaya said, is that achieving military autonomy for Europe and Ukraine is extremely difficult in the short term, and Europe has been slow to develop the necessary capabilities.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Past changes have pushed the glacier into a retreat that may be difficult to reverse, while new modeling suggests scientists may have underestimated how warm seawater reaches beneath it.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • She is described as brusque, cantankerous, ruthless — and also a killer.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Such ruthless prioritization produced some admirable results.
    — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • The shoes balanced on a slender yet sturdy stiletto heel measuring around three inches.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The result has been sturdy economic growth, even as lower-income and even middle-income households have continued to struggle under stubborn inflation and declining earnings.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of sturdy
Adjective
  • For properties other than single-family homes and duplexes, the statute addresses reasonable provisions for clean and safe common areas along with services such as garbage removal and extermination of certain pests.
    — Emma Clapp, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • These are reasonable explanations for a temporary change, Desai says.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of reasonable
Adjective
  • Celebrity hairstylist Brian Magallones considers this the perfect balance between a not-too-fussy and not-too-structured chignon, a style that sounds tough to style without a professional team but is actually quite easy to master at-home.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Coming off that dominant performance against the Yankees, Rasmussen went six-plus tough innings.
    — Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • Pike committed the crime over an intense romantic jealousy of Slemmer, who allegedly attempted to steal her boyfriend’s attention.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Carnegie Hall seats well over 3,000 people, but this intense, no-frills performance film gives life to the old saying about feeling alone in a crowd.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Anthropic wants Congress to set strict limits on when federal authorities can stop advanced AI models from reaching users.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • France, unlike the United States, places strict limits on campaign spending, but money still shapes the broader political ecosystem.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of strict
Adjective
  • Kansas City is investigating how one of its solid waste trucks struck a bicyclist over the weekend, leaving the rider with life-threatening injuries.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Packers themselves have been solid as a team offensively, but notably rank dead last in the league in rushing yards.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of solid

Phrases Containing hard

Browse Nearby Words

harbors
hard
hard-and-fast
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All