hard
hard — adjective
1. Something that is hard does not change shape easily when you push or press it, a
Something that is hard does not change shape easily when you push or press it, and is not soft.
Walid hit his hand against the hard wooden table and quickly pulled it back in pain.
hard + noun for solid surfaces
A hard surface like stone or metal works well for rolling out dough.
The bread was so hard that Jin could not cut it with a regular knife.
describing food that has become solid/old
After the rain, the ground became hard and dry under the hot sun.
- hard surface
- hard wood
- hard ground
- hard floor
- hard bread
2. not simple; you need a lot of thinking, ability, or patience to make sense of it
not simple; you need a lot of thinking, ability, or patience to make sense of it or finish it.
The maths test was very hard, and Christopher could not finish all the questions.
It is hard for Gabriela to wake up early every morning because she works late.
it + be + hard + for + someone + to-infinitive
Learning a new language can be hard at first, but it gets easier with practice.
Choosing which university to attend is a hard decision for many students.
hard + noun: hard decision, hard choice, hard question
- hard question
- hard test
- hard choice
- hard decision
- hard time
- hard life
- difficult
slightly more formal; interchangeable in most contexts
- tough
informal; suggests requiring endurance as well as skill
- challenging
more positive in tone; suggests something is hard but rewarding
Grammar Patterns
it + be + hard + to-infinitive
it + be + hard + for + object + to-infinitive
hard + noun
Usage Note
This is the most common sense of 'hard' for A1 learners. It often appears in the pattern 'it + be + hard + to-infinitive' (e.g. 'It is hard to say'). Do not confuse with 'hardly', which means 'almost not'.
Common Mistakes
3. Someone who is hard is not easy to satisfy and only likes certain specific thing
Someone who is hard is not easy to satisfy and only likes certain specific things rather than most things.
The restaurant critic was hard to please and rarely gave any dishes top marks.
hard to please: fixed expression
Beatrix's boss is very hard — she rejects every idea that the team suggests.
When it comes to choosing music, Hari is hard to please and only listens to classical pieces.
hard to please: fixed expression for critical people
Hard customers often send food back to the kitchen if anything is wrong.
hard + noun for describing critical people
- hard to please
- hard customer
- hard boss
- hard critic
- easy-going
relaxed and not easily bothered by imperfections
Grammar Patterns
hard + to-infinitive (hard to please, hard to satisfy)
Usage Note
Unlike sense 2 (DIFFICULT), this sense specifically describes a person who is hard to satisfy — not a task or situation. Commonly used in the expression 'hard to please'. Distinguish from sense 5 (SEVERE), which describes harsh treatment rather than picky standards.
4. A task or activity that is hard needs a lot of energy from your body or mind to
A task or activity that is hard needs a lot of energy from your body or mind to finish.
Running a marathon is hard work that takes months of training to prepare for.
collocation: hard work
Eliska put in a hard morning of gardening and needed a long rest afterwards.
Quan's job involves hard physical labour from sunrise to sunset every day.
collocation: hard physical labour
After a hard day of studying for exams, Lakshmi went for a walk to relax.
- hard work
- hard day
- hard labour
- hard effort
- hard morning
- hard struggle
Grammar Patterns
hard + noun (hard work, hard day, hard labour)
Usage Note
Often used before nouns like 'work', 'day', 'labour', 'effort'. The focus is on the amount of energy needed, not on difficulty of understanding (sense 2). Frequently collocates with 'hard work' as a fixed pair.
5. Not kind or gentle; showing a lack of warmth, sympathy, or understanding toward
Not kind or gentle; showing a lack of warmth, sympathy, or understanding toward someone.
The teacher gave Zola a hard look when she was whispering during the exam.
Heather's parents were very hard on her when she brought home low grades.
hard on someone: fixed prepositional phrase
Life in the refugee camp was hard, with very little food and no privacy at all.
The judge had a hard expression as she read the sentence to the court.
- hard on someone
- hard look
- hard expression
- hard eyes
- hard life
- hard times
Grammar Patterns
hard + on + someone
Usage Note
Commonly appears as 'hard on someone' (e.g. 'Don't be so hard on the children'). Unlike sense 6 (which focuses on criticism or unfairness), sense 5 emphasises a general lack of gentleness in behaviour, expression, or circumstances. The subject can be a person, a situation, or 'life' itself.
6. Describing a situation where someone is treated with strong criticism, very stri
Describing a situation where someone is treated with strong criticism, very strict standards, or unfair demands.
The newspaper was hard on the new mayor, attacking every decision she made.
Don't be too hard on yourself — nobody can get everything right the first time.
too hard on yourself: common self-compassion expression
Wages in that factory were low and conditions were hard on the workers.
The coach was hard on the team, making them practise the same drill for hours.
hard on someone: criticism through strict demands
- hard on someone
- too hard on yourself
- hard on the workers
- hard on the team
Grammar Patterns
hard + on + someone
too hard + on + someone
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 5 (SEVERE): sense 6 focuses on active criticism or unfair treatment, while sense 5 describes a general lack of gentleness. Sense 6 often appears where someone is actively judged or blamed, especially in the pattern 'too hard on someone'.
7. describes drinks, such as liquor or cider, that have a strong effect because the
describes drinks, such as liquor or cider, that have a strong effect because they contain a lot of alcohol
Tunde only drinks hard liquor like whiskey on special occasions.
hard + liquor / cider / drinks collocation
The bar menu lists hard cider, wine, and soft drinks separately.
Shirin avoids hard alcohol because it gives her a headache.
In many countries, hard drinks cost more than beer at local stores.
contrast: hard drinks vs beer / wine
- hard liquor
- hard cider
- hard drink
- hard alcohol
Usage Note
Typically used before nouns that name alcoholic beverages, such as liquor, cider, or drink.
Common Mistakes
8. describes water that contains minerals like calcium, which stop soap from mixing
describes water that contains minerals like calcium, which stop soap from mixing or creating bubbles properly
The tap water here is so hard that soap barely creates any bubbles.
so + hard + that clause — cause and effect
Gabriela installed a water softener to deal with the hard water.
water softener — common solution for hard water
Hard water leaves white mineral deposits on the kitchen kettle.
Residents in the old building complained about the hard water supply.
- hard water
- hard water supply
- hard water deposits
- soft
soft water has low mineral content and lathers easily with soap
Usage Note
Most commonly appears in the fixed phrase hard water. The opposite is soft water.
Common Mistakes
9. clearly supported by facts that anyone can examine and confirm as true
clearly supported by facts that anyone can examine and confirm as true
The police need hard evidence before they can arrest anyone.
hard evidence — fixed legal collocation
There is no hard proof that the package ever arrived at the office.
The journalist presented hard facts to support her investigation.
hard facts — common before-noun pattern
Judges base their decisions on hard data, not personal opinions.
- hard evidence
- hard proof
- hard facts
- hard data
- hard information
- unproven
not yet shown to be true or false
- speculative
based on guesswork rather than facts
Usage Note
Always used before a noun (evidence, proof, facts, data). Does not appear after a linking verb — compare This evidence is strong, not This evidence is hard.
Common Mistakes
10. describes a period of very cold or severe weather conditions that make life outd
describes a period of very cold or severe weather conditions that make life outdoors difficult
The region experienced a hard winter with snow lasting until April.
hard winter — most common fixed phrase for this sense
A hard frost damaged the young plants in Meera's garden.
Farmers lost most of their crops during the hard winter last year.
The hikers turned back because of the hard weather on the mountain.
hard weather — general use with location context
- hard winter
- hard frost
- hard weather
- mild
describes gentle, comfortable weather without extremes of cold or heat
Usage Note
Typically appears in fixed phrases such as hard winter, hard frost, or hard weather. Describes the season or conditions themselves, not how someone experiences them.
Common Mistakes
To treat someone or something in a very strict or critical way.
Mom was hard on me when I broke the vase.
Running every day can be hard on your knees.
In a difficult situation where you must choose between two bad options.
Maya was between a rock and a hard place when both offers came.
If I stay or leave, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
To negotiate very forcefully to get the best possible deal.
The car dealer drove a hard bargain, but I got a discount.
Sara strikes a hard bargain when buying used furniture.
To deliberately make things difficult or unpleasant for someone.
The boss gave me a hard time about the late report.
Why do you always give your brother a hard time?
hard and fast
idiomFixed and not able to be changed under any circumstances.
There are no hard and fast rules for this recipe.
The deadline is hard and fast; we cannot extend it.
(as) hard as nails
idiomShowing no fear, sympathy, or kindness; very tough.
The coach is as hard as nails and never praises anyone.
After years in the army, Grandpa became hard as nails.
hard cheese
idiomUsed to express fake sympathy, often meaning the opposite.
You missed the bus? Hard cheese! You should have left earlier.
Hard cheese, but I don't feel sorry for you.
hard going
idiomDifficult to understand or requiring a lot of effort.
I found the physics textbook very hard going.
The hike was hard going because of the steep trail.
hard luck
idiomUsed to tell someone you feel sorry for them about a problem.
You failed the test? Hard luck, maybe next time.
Hard luck, Tom. You almost won the race.
A problem or situation that is very difficult to deal with.
This math puzzle is a hard nut to crack.
Getting funding for the project is a tough nut to crack.
Someone or something so successful that it is hard for others to match.
The previous CEO was a hard act to follow.
Her speech was excellent; it will be a tough act to follow.
the hard way
idiomLearning something through unpleasant experiences or mistakes.
He learned the hard way not to touch a hot stove.
I found out the hard way that lying has consequences.
To have difficulty doing something.
I had a hard job finding a parking spot downtown.
She will have a difficult job convincing her parents.
To use more time or effort on a task than is needed.
He made hard work of cleaning the garage.
Why do you make hard work of such a simple recipe?
no hard feelings
idiomUsed to say that you are not angry after an argument or competition.
You beat me fair and square. No hard feelings, okay?
We disagreed, but no hard feelings between us.
play hard to get
idiomTo pretend not to be interested in order to seem more attractive.
She played hard to get, so he kept calling her.
Stop playing hard to get and just say yes.
To examine something very carefully and without rushing.
We need to take a long hard look at our budget.
Take a long cool look at the problem before deciding.
Requiring too much effort; not worth the trouble.
Cooking a big dinner is too much like hard work tonight.
Learning a new language seems too much like hard work.
hard — adverb
1. putting a great deal of energy and attention into what you do
putting a great deal of energy and attention into what you do
Élise studied hard for the chemistry exam and got top marks.
collocation: study hard
The delivery crew worked hard all morning to load the truck.
collocation: work hard
Kian pushed hard against the heavy wooden door until it opened.
adverb modifying push: push hard + against
You have to try hard if you want to improve your spoken English.
collocation: try hard
- work hard
- try hard
- study hard
- push hard
- fight hard
- breathe hard
- diligently
more formal; focuses on careful, steady effort rather than sheer exertion
- strenuously
emphasises physical force; less common in everyday speech
- vigorously
suggests lively, energetic effort rather than sustained labour
Usage Note
Hardly is NOT the adverb form of 'hard' — it means 'almost not'. Compare: 'I worked hard' (with great effort) vs 'I hardly worked' (very little effort).
Common Mistakes
2. If rain or snow falls hard, it falls in large amounts
If rain or snow falls hard, it falls in large amounts
It rained so hard last night that the streets flooded.
dummy-it subject: it rains/snows hard
The snow fell hard all afternoon, covering the town in white.
collocation: snow falls hard, covering + noun phrase
Paloma could hear the rain beating hard against the windows.
collocation: beat hard against [surface]
By morning, the rain was falling so hard that the river had risen by a metre.
result clause: so hard that [consequence]
- rain hard
- snow hard
- fall hard
- beat hard
- lightly
of rain/snow: in small amounts
Usage Note
This sense is restricted to weather verbs — mainly 'rain', 'snow', and occasionally 'hail'. It cannot be used for wind ('blew hard' uses sense 1).
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/2
These four words all describe something that is not easy, but they differ in tone and focus. Hard is the most basic and neutral word — it fits everyday speech (The exam was hard) and appears in fixed expressions (hard to believe, hard to say). Difficult is slightly more formal and often suggests a mental or intellectual challenge (a difficult equation, a difficult decision). Tough is informal and adds the idea of endurance — something is tough if it requires both skill and persistence to get through it (a tough negotiator, a tough climb). Challenging has a positive tone; it suggests something that tests your abilities in a good way, often rewarding you for the effort (a challenging job, a challenging puzzle). Use hard for simple, direct statements; difficult in formal writing; tough for gritty, real-world struggles; and challenging when you want to sound encouraging.
Common collocations
Nouns
- hard work
- hard time / hard times
- hard evidence
- hard facts
- hard data
- hard proof
- hard copy
- hard cash
- hard labour
- hard luck
- hard drugs
- hard drive
Adverbs
- very hard
- extremely hard
- really hard
- too hard
- so hard
- incredibly hard
- particularly hard
- awfully hard
Phrases
- hard to believe
- hard to say
- hard to tell
- hard to imagine
- hard at work
- no hard feelings
- play hard to get
- learn something the hard way
- a hard act to follow
- hard and fast (rules)
- old habits die hard
- between a rock and a hard place
Prepositions
- hard on someone
- hard for someone
- hard of hearing
Etymology
Hard comes from Old English heard, which meant firm, solid, or severe. Its roots go back to Proto-Germanic harduz (strong, tough) and further to the Proto-Indo-European root kret-, meaning powerful or strong. The word has carried the core idea of resistance — whether physical (hard surface), mental (hard task), or emotional (hard heart) — for over 1,500 years.