Synonyms of hard
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as in difficult
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as in ruthless
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as in sturdy
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as in reasonable
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as in tough
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as in intense
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as in strict
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as in solid
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as in stable
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as in sore
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as in stubborn
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as in historical
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as in intensively
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as in bitterly
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as in strongly
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as in close
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as in harshly
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1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
clearing land is hard work a hard exam to pass
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2
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a hard man, who never had a kind word for anyone
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3
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
they were forced to import sheep of a harder stock, one that could thrive in the harsh climate
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4
as in reasonable
based on sound reasoning or information
do you have any hard evidence that this was once the site of a Native American village?
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5
as in tough
difficult to endure
the hard life of a migrant farm worker
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6
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a carpet that withstood years of hard wear
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7
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint
a hard disciplinarian who is quick to punish the tiniest violation of the rules
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as in solid
having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure
hard candies fell on the hard floor and bruised her arm
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as in stable
having been established and usually not subject to change
there isn't always a hard line between right and wrong
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as in sore
having or showing deep-seated resentment
maintained hard feelings toward those who had cheated him
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as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
a woman with a hard will who never budged from her chosen path
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as in historical
restricted to or based on fact
that newscast is strictly devoted to hard news, as the producers prefer to leave the gossip to others
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as in intensively
with great effort or determination
we took a much-needed break after working hard all week a hard-won victory
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2
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
took the news of their grandfather's death hard
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3
as in strongly
in a vigorous and forceful manner
hit the ball hard, causing it to soar out of bounds the wind blew hard all day
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4
as in close
at, within, or to a short distance or time
the groom stood hard by, ready to help, as the lady mounted the skittish horse
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as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
the dog had been treated hard by his previous owner
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
5 July 2026
Uncertainty is harder because the probabilities are not fully knowable in advance.
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Henrik Totterman,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2026
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
29 June 2026
The challenge becomes exponentially harder in large, interconnected enterprises where recovery depends on systems, services, sites and other dependencies that are constantly changing.
—
Michael Campbell,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard
Adjective
The scenes were hard to watch inside MetLife Stadium on Sunday as Brazilian fans were seen in tears toward the end of the match, many leaving early in a sign of complete resignation.
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Doha Madani,
NBC news,
5 July 2026
Uncertainty is harder because the probabilities are not fully knowable in advance.
—
Henrik Totterman,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2026
Adverb
Beyond your yard's appearance, a worn line can also reduce the efficiency and lifespan of your weed whacker by forcing the tool to work harder.
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Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
29 June 2026
The challenge becomes exponentially harder in large, interconnected enterprises where recovery depends on systems, services, sites and other dependencies that are constantly changing.
—
Michael Campbell,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard
Adjective
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Sarah Buck, Chicago Driving has become harder The rapid increase in bike lanes has made driving much more difficult and tedious, with numerous delays due to many streets being reduced to one lane in busy areas.
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Republican strategists have welcomed those nominations as an opening for attack in a difficult election year.
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Natural selection is usually ruthless about weeding out traits with no function.
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Supergirl builds to a final showdown with Krem of the Yellow Hills, the ruthless Brigands leader who murdered Ruthye’s family and poisoned Krypto early in the film.
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
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For your safety, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
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Part of what’s at work is a reasonable desire to give a party with more than its share of grizzled congressional veterans a jolt of youthful energy.
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This week prosecutors need only demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to believe Robinson killed Kirk.
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MacDonald agrees that some of Kiros' positions could put Democratic candidates in a tough spot.
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The 34 measures include cuts to income tax for low- and middle income families, an overhaul of the creaking pension system, tougher rules for employees' sick leave and a reduction of the country's stifling bureaucracy.
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Indie Shakes managing director David Melville distills his production around scenes of intense conflict.
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As the planet warms, extreme heat events are becoming more common, intense and long-lasting.
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California has strict fireworks laws because of the combination of fire danger and population, Berlant said.
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In whatever role, expect Teng to be on a strict innings limit and pitch count for his next few outings at Triple-A Sugar Land.
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Goldin, who appeared in 11 Heat games as a rookie, was very solid on Friday, blocking a shot by Maliq Brown and then blocking a shot on an alley oop.
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Additionally, Thursday morning’s mission was the last to use the Atlas V’s most powerful configuration with five strap-on solid rocket boosters.
Cite this Entry
“Hard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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