hardy

adjective

har·​dy ˈhär-dē How to pronounce hardy (audio)
hardier; hardiest
1
: bold, brave
a hardy intrepid spirit
2
3
a
: accustomed to dealing with fatigue or hardships : robust
The soldiers were strong and hardy.
b
: capable of withstanding adverse conditions
hardy outdoor furniture
hardy plants
hardy cattle
hardily adverb
hardiness noun

Examples of hardy in a Sentence

Most of the soldiers were hardy young men. Hardy fans stuck with the team through good times and bad. Only the hardiest pilgrims made the journey.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Grains of rocky silica in the plumes suggested the mixtures were created in and around hot, seafloor vents, structures that on Earth provide a home to hardy microbes. science.org, 19 Sep. 2024 Overwintering Chocolate Cosmos Chocolate cosmos are reliably winter hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11, where plants die back to the ground in fall and regrow the following spring. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2024 In my experience, hardy nursery products, such as oaks, maples and flowering dogwoods, tend to sell out quickly during this season due to buyers' confidence in these plants' survival and growth potential. Tammy Sons, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 For truly hardy bikepackers, the burly 70-mile loop through the Cathedral Valley delivers you into some of the most remote corners of the park. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hardy 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hardi, from Anglo-French, from Old French *hardir to make hard, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English heard hard

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardy was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near hardy

Cite this Entry

“Hardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardy. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hardy

adjective
har·​dy ˈhärd-ē How to pronounce hardy (audio)
hardier; hardiest
1
2
: able to stand fatigue or hardships : robust
3
: able to survive unfavorable conditions (as of weather)
a hardy rose bush
hardily adverb
hardiness noun

Biographical Definition

Hardy 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Har·​dy ˈhär-dē How to pronounce Hardy (audio)
Oliver 1892–1957 originally Norvell Hardy American comic actor

Hardy

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Thomas 1840–1928 English novelist and poet
Hardyesque adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hardy

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