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adverb

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word hard different from other adjectives like it?

The words arduous and difficult are common synonyms of hard. While all three words mean "demanding great exertion or effort," hard implies the opposite of all that is easy.

farming is hard work

In what contexts can arduous take the place of hard?

In some situations, the words arduous and hard are roughly equivalent. However, arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion.

the arduous task of rebuilding

When would difficult be a good substitute for hard?

The words difficult and hard can be used in similar contexts, but difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill or courage.

the difficult ascent of the mountain

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hard
Adjective
Premieres are hard to pull off at TV markets, but the show landed well with the MIPCOM crowd. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025 And it's been a pretty hard pill to swallow. Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Adverb
But the Education Department is among those being hard hit, disrupting special education, after-school programs and others. Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025 Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood, a terrific young player, bit hard on the fake and came up to the line of scrimmage toward Mims. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard
Adjective
  • Travel could be very difficult to impossible.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2025
  • This Is My Story While Israel and Hamas have accepted the two-phase agreement, many of the more difficult issues have been left unresolved.
    Richard Hall, Time, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With war looming and chaos consuming the kingdom — drawing in the ruthless kings of other Scandinavian countries and even a powerful English ruler — the stage is set for a thundering, cataclysmic and utterly magical new Norse saga.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The company is famous for its creative but ruthless approach to cost cutting.
    Patrick George, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • There's no-contact check-in and the rooms are reasonable.
    Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Injecting an element of randomness and uncertainty into the process is reasonable, given that in the real world, measurements are never exact.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The end result of a tough negotiation that included a nearly two-week blackout of Disney channels on Charter in 2023 was a much closer working relationship between the two.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Just a week after giving birth, Menish took her six-hour Evidence exam from home in December 2023 — one of the toughest finals in the curriculum.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • During periods of intense rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The modern understanding of the Ring of Fire emerged with the theory of plate tectonics in the 1960s, which explained the region’s intense seismic and volcanic activity as the result of shifting tectonic plates.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.
    Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Article 3 Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution places strict limitations on the regular circumstances under which a governor can deploy guard troops.
    Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Dunbar’s speed presented problems for Benbrook’s defense, and Slater credited them for a well-rounded, solid performance.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The back half of the New York Film Festival delivered a secret screening of a solid Academy Award contender, the box office smacked down a Venice Film Festival award winner, and two major contenders in the acting fields up and switched their categories.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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