hard pass

noun

: a firm refusal or rejection of something (such as an offer)

Then poor Gendry asks Arya to be his lady, but Arya gives him a hard pass.

—Rob Bricken

… the residents of Gunbarrel speak with a unified and unwavering voice: "No thank you, Mr. Mayor! Hard pass."

—R. M. O'Dea

That disclaimer was disregarded by some who found Turner's suggestion too extreme. A home run derby in a regular season game? Is this hockey and its penalty shootouts? Hard pass.

—Jorge Castillo

Take a hard pass on the house cocktails, and stick with beer or wine. Or skip the booze altogether …

—Greg Cox

Examples of hard pass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nazem Kadri picked out Nelson in the slot for a hard pass, and the latter redirected it into the top-left corner of the net for his 33rd goal of the season. —Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026

Protein powders, smoothie additives, workout supplements—hard pass. —Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026

Ezra Ausar sent a hard pass through the paint to the freshman for the first, then Woods grabbed a steal and dished the ball to Arenas for a layup. —Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026

In the third, Crosby scored by redirecting a hard pass to the crease by Mitch Marner. —Dallas Morning News, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2014, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hard pass

• alas
• amass
• bromegrass
• bypass
• chagas
• crabgrass
• crevasse
• eelgrass
• eyeglass
• groundmass
• harass
• impasse