hard

hard1 [ hard ] adjective ***

▸ 1 firm & not easy to break

▸ 2 difficult to do

▸ 3 full of problems

▸ 4 strong & not frightened

▸ 5 unkind/cruel

▸ 6 with much physical force

▸ 7 about water

▸ 8 winter/frost: severe

▸ 9 facts, etc.: can be proved

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) stiff, firm, and not easy to bend or break:

hard wooden benches

The plastic was chosen because it is very hard and durable.

2. ) difficult to do:

Some of the questions were very hard.

hard for someone to do something: It is hard for young people to get jobs in this area.

hard to do something: It's hard to explain why I love this place so much.

find something hard: I found the English test extremely hard.

hard to believe: I find it hard to believe that we're leaving the South for good.

a ) involving a great deal of effort:

Lifting stones this size is pretty hard work.

I need to relax at the end of a hard day.

3. ) unpleasant and full of problems:

My grandmother had a very hard life.

The family has had a hard time recently.

hard on: It's very hard on parents when their children are rebellious.

4. ) strong and not easily frightened:

He likes to pretend he's hard, but he's really soft underneath.

5. ) unkind or cruel:

She was deeply hurt by his hard words.

hard on: Don't be too hard on her, she was only trying to help.

6. ) using a great deal of physical force:

He gave the door a hard shove, and it opened.

7. ) hard water does not mix easily with soap because it contains a lot of MINERALS

8. ) a hard winter is a very cold winter

a ) a hard FROST is very severe

9. ) only before noun hard facts are certain and can be proved:

We need some hard evidence to support our claim.

as hard as nails INFORMAL

tending not to feel sympathy or other positive emotions

be hard on something INFORMAL

to cause damage to something:

Aerobics is hard on the knees.

do something the hard way

to have a bad experience doing something, often when this is your own fault

give someone a hard time INFORMAL

to be unpleasant to someone or criticize them a lot

hard at it INFORMAL

doing something in a fast busy way

hard at work

working with a lot of effort

hard going INFORMAL

very difficult and needing a lot of effort

hard luck BRITISH SPOKEN

1. ) used for saying that you feel sympathy for someone because something bad has happened to them

2. ) used for saying that you do not feel any sympathy about something bad that has happened to someone

hard right/left

a turn directly to the right or left:

Take a hard right just after the motel.

hard to come by INFORMAL

difficult to find or get:

Large cars can be hard to come by overseas.

hard to take/swallow

difficult to accept or deal with:

His bad moods are hard to take at times.

learn the hard way

to learn how to do something by trying to do it and making a lot of mistakes

no hard feelings SPOKEN

used for telling someone that you are not angry with them after an argument or disagreement

take a hard line

to deal with something in a very firm or strict way and refuse to change your opinion or decision:

The government is taking a hard line on tax evasion.

hard

hard 2 [ hard ] adverb ***

1. ) using a lot of effort:

The Chinese team have worked very hard to get this far in the competition.

Our people fought hard to gain independence.

I was trying very hard to remember her name.

a ) using a great deal of force:

She pressed her face hard against the glass.

You need to push harder.

I didn't mean to hit him so hard.

b ) if you look, listen, or think hard, you do it carefully with your full attention:

I had to think hard before coming up with the right answer.

2. ) if it rains or snows hard, a great deal of rain or snow falls

be/feel hard done by

to be treated in an unfair way, or feel as if you have been treated in an unfair way

be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something

to find it very difficult to do something:

I think the Republicans will be hard pressed to gain support.

be hard hit/hit hard

to be very badly affected by something:

Small businesses in particular were hard hit by the recession.

hard on someone's heels

following close behind someone

hard on the heels of something

happening very soon after something:

This disaster comes hard on the heels of last week's train crash.

take something hard

to be very upset by something:

He took it very hard when his wife died last year.

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