hardy

adjective

har·​dy ˈhär-dē 

hardier; hardiest

1

: bold, brave

a hardy intrepid spirit

2

: audacious, brazen

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

ˈhär-dᵊl-ē 

adverb

hardiness

ˈhär-dē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• sturdy
• strong
• rugged
• tough
• stout
• vigorous

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

The storm hardy island could feel some of the storm’s outer bands, and officials have issued a hurricane warning for the island. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025

Tender veggies, like tomatoes and peppers, usually need to be harvested before frosts and freezes hit, but cold-hardy crops can remain in the garden much longer. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025

The most dependable mums to grow as garden perennials belong to the Rubellum Group, often called hardy chrysanthemum, hardy garden mum, or old-fashioned mum. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025

South Florida is the one place in the continental United States that virtually all of these roughly Zone 10-hardy plants are happy outdoors year-round, Husby said, though certain species are adapted to conditions in the Los Angeles basin and parts of Arizona. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing hardy

• half-hardy

Rhymes for hardy

• hardie
• lardy
• pardy
• tardy
• foolhardy
• sephardi

Kids Definition

hardy

adjective

har·​dy ˈhärd-ē 

hardier; hardiest

1

: bold sense 1a, brave

2

: able to stand fatigue or hardships : robust

3

: able to survive unfavorable conditions (as of weather)

a hardy rose bush

hardily

ˈhärd-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

hardiness

ˈhärd-ē-nəs 

noun

Biographical Definition

Hardy 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Har·​dy ˈhär-dē 

Oliver 1892–1957 originally Norvell Hardy American comic actor

Hardy

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Thomas 1840–1928 English novelist and poet

Hardyesque

ˌhär-dē-ˈesk 

adjective