hardness

hard·ness | \ ˈhärd-nəs

How to pronounce hardness (audio)

\

Definition of hardness

1 : the quality or state of being hard

2a : the cohesion of the particles on the surface of a mineral as determined by its capacity to scratch another or be itself scratched — compare mohs' scale

b : resistance of metal to indentation under a static load or to scratching

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about hardness

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of hardness in a Sentence

the hardness of a diamond The wood's hardness makes it suitable for carving.

Recent Examples on the Web Lurking amid the crowd of avatars is the proto-fascist Nietzsche—the proponent of pitilessness, hardness, and the will to power who is cited approvingly by such far-right gurus as Alain de Benoist, Richard Spencer, and Aleksandr Dugin. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "Nietzsche’s Eternal Return," 7 Oct. 2019 Her stance was that of a woman who looked out for herself, as the Italian women saw it, her sternness a kind of hardness, like that of a man. — Sarah Schweitzer, The Atlantic, "The Lunch Ladies of New Canaan," 15 Aug. 2019 Instead of designing an entire system on chip with radiation-hard components, engineers choose where radiation hardness is really necessary and where it can safely be dispensed with. — Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, "Space-grade CPUs: How do you send more computing power into space?," 11 Nov. 2019 Torlef Borsting doesn’t downplay the Count’s hardness of heart. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "Opera Orlando’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ sparkles with fun | Review," 2 Nov. 2019 So Tim needed a person that would reflect all the hopes and dreams and softness and hardness of the audience, the true human being. — Derek Lawrence, EW.com, "Terminator: Dark Fate stars Linda Hamilton and Mackenzie Davis on their 'hot and heavy' bond," 17 Oct. 2019 But there is some hardness and tire noise from the 18-inch Continental ProContact all-season tires. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Chevrolet Malibu RS: a mileage maker with blacked-out style," 22 Sep. 2019 However, physical fitness does not truly equal hardness. — SI.com, "Premier League Managers: Ranking All 20 Bosses by How Hard They Are," 6 Aug. 2019 Electron behavior causes nearly all material properties: hardness, conductivity, melting temperature. — Quanta Magazine, "Elusive Higgs-Like State Created in Exotic Materials," 28 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hardness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about hardness

Dictionary Entries near hardness

hardly/scarcely than

Statistics for hardness

Last Updated

14 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Hardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardness. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

injunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

More Confusing Words—Quiz

The magician ______ moved the selected card to the top of the deck.

discretely discreetly

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.