hard hat

noun

for sense 1 usually
ˈhärd-ˈhat How to pronounce hard hat (audio)
for senses 1b and 2
ˈhärd-ˌhat How to pronounce hard hat (audio)
1
a
: a protective hat made of rigid material (such as metal or fiberglass) and worn especially by construction workers
b
: a construction worker
2
: a conservative who is intolerant of opposing views

Examples of hard hat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
One day earlier this month, workers in white hard hats bustled around the I-beams supporting the house and ducked under basement rafters that had been in place for almost 300 years. Michael E. Ruane The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 20 Oct. 2024 During the tour, guests and guides wear hard hats and take an elevator down for about two minutes. David Matthews, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024 Family of Black Texas Student Suspended by School Over His Locs Is Suing Governor, Attorney General Per the complaint, Harvey offered to trim or style his hair in a different way, wear his hair in a wrap or buy a different hard hat so that safety wouldn’t be an issue. Brian Brant, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024 Visitors wear hard hats and headlamps and ride a mine train on the tour, where guides describe the mining experience. Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hard hat 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard hat was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near hard hat

Cite this Entry

“Hard hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20hat. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hard hat

noun
1
: a protective helmet worn especially by construction workers
2
: a construction worker

More from Merriam-Webster on hard hat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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