Synonyms of hard
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as in difficult
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as in ruthless
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as in sturdy
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as in reasonable
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as in tough
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as in intense
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as in strict
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as in solid
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as in stable
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as in sore
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as in stubborn
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as in historical
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as in intensively
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as in bitterly
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as in strongly
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as in close
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as in harshly
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1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
clearing land is hard work a hard exam to pass
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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
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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
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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?
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5
as in tough
difficult to endure
the hard life of a migrant farm worker
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6
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a carpet that withstood years of hard wear
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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
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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
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as in stable
having been established and usually not subject to change
there isn't always a hard line between right and wrong
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10
as in sore
having or showing deep-seated resentment
maintained hard feelings toward those who had cheated him
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11
as in stubborn
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
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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
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1
as in intensively
with great effort or determination
we took a much-needed break after working hard all week a hard-won victory
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2
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
took the news of their grandfather's death hard
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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
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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
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5
as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
the dog had been treated hard by his previous owner
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026
But boarding school students were often hard to control.
—Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Vanessa L. Powell, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026
When Rotta the Hutt is kidnapped and held on a new planet, Shakari, Göransson goes hard on the electronic synths.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard
Adjective
Racists dismissed them as lesser beings, demeaned them and made life hard for all people of color — whites-only facilities and hard jobs.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026
But boarding school students were often hard to control.
—Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Adverb
Faleave Palazzo Pants With Pockets These pants deliver peak vacation energy without trying too hard.
—Vanessa L. Powell, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026
When Rotta the Hutt is kidnapped and held on a new planet, Shakari, Göransson goes hard on the electronic synths.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard
Adjective
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Building the program had proved difficult.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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Sindcom 14-Piece Food Storage Containers Set The pantry is one of the most difficult places to organize thanks to boxes of cereal, pasta, baking ingredients, and more scattered about.—
Kelsey Fredricks,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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His eyes gave him away as a ruthless competitor.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
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But then there's Dixie Bennings (LeAnn Rimes), a ruthless country singer and the thorn in Don's side.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
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Tutt and his teams have worked on engineering designs to safely drop anything needing a sturdy parachute — including the Orion capsule that splashed down last month off the coast of San Diego after its 477,710-mile journey to the moon and back.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Allow reasonable discipline in school.—
Matthew Stolle,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2026
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If reasonable, open windows and turn off air conditioning at night to let cooler air in, then shut the windows and shades in the morning to trap the cool air inside, Trane recommends.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Management has partly attributed the membership slowdown to tougher comparisons from a year earlier, but there’s more to the story.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelming voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit children under 16 years old from having a social media account, setting up what is likely to continue to be a tough battle over the coming months.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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But today’s wars of words seem designed to fuel intense polarization, not to change minds.—
Lisa Pavia-Higel,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
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Big tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have prioritized growing their chips business to rely less on AI chipmaker Nvidia, who reported a strong first quarter last week, even as competition is getting more intense from rivals including Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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Top oil-consuming countries have been releasing reserves to help offset shortfalls while other countries have enacted strict rationing policies.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
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Guardiola worked hard in those first months to establish a close bond between the players, implementing strict rules designed to ensure certain behaviours became second-nature.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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The Centurions were fueled Tuesday by solid defense and a strong outing from junior pitcher Chase Kline.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
27 May 2026
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Nishida’s greatest tools are his speed, and his ability to play superior defense with a solid, dependable throwing arm.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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