1
: the quality or state of being hard
2
a
: 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
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
The room itself, gray and brown, has a hardness, reinforced by Matisse’s intentionally visible, scratchy revisions and by the (unintentional) craquelure in the wall above Laurette’s body.
—
Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 11 July 2024
After just a few weeks with Murad, the size and hardness of the milia have reduced dramatically.
—Esther Newman, refinery29.com, 29 Jan. 2024
The papers implied that some kind of computational hardness would be necessary for almost all cryptographic tasks.
—Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 30 June 2024
The outcome depends on myriad variables: the force and angle and height of the flip; the weight, diameter, thickness and distribution of mass of the coin; air resistance; gravity; the hardness of the landing surface; and so on.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardness 
Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 11 July 2024
After just a few weeks with Murad, the size and hardness of the milia have reduced dramatically.
—Esther Newman, refinery29.com, 29 Jan. 2024
The papers implied that some kind of computational hardness would be necessary for almost all cryptographic tasks.
—Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 30 June 2024
The outcome depends on myriad variables: the force and angle and height of the flip; the weight, diameter, thickness and distribution of mass of the coin; air resistance; gravity; the hardness of the landing surface; and so on.
—Quanta Magazine, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardness
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hardness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hardness
Cite this Entry
“Hardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardness. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hardness
noun
hard·ness
ˈhärd-nəs 
1
: the quality or state of being hard
2
: the ability of a substance (as a mineral) to scratch another substance or be itself scratched
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