hard-core

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈkȯr How to pronounce hard-core (audio)
Definition of hard-corenext
as in deep
firmly established over time the hard-core habits that generate our mountains of trash everyday will be extremely difficult to change

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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-core Nexstar‘s The Hill hopes to get a bump from offering a new tier of content to hard-core subscribers. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 July 2026 On the court, the nickname goes back to the 1930s, when journalists evoked the Bible’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as a way of describing the four hard-core conservative justices who blocked progressive legislation for years. — Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 These are not social Democrats, these are hard-core, godless communists. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 Last year’s Superman was divisive among the hardcore fandom but grossed a very respectable $619 million worldwide, kicking off the new era of DC Studios under co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran on a promising note. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-core
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-core
  1. deep
  2. inveterate
  3. lifelong
  4. entrenched
  5. inherent
  6. rooted
Adjective
  • Democrats’ hopes rise in Texas Democrats are feeling newly optimistic about Texas, even in deep-red seats.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Later, Mars trines Neptune in your 8th House, making deeper reflection feel more intuitive than analytical.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • The cast features not just the creator, who makes the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype her own as ukulele troubadour Lulu, but also a pre-Bridgerton Jonathan Bailey in the wild role of an inveterate womanizer.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In the guest section, apparently at the invitation of one of the liberal Justices, sat Robert De Niro, an inveterate Trump critic.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inveterate
Adjective
  • In the Mexican drama series Inside the Circle, four lifelong friends accidentally uncover a video that links a powerful government official to the unsolved death of an actress.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Hathaway, a New York City native and lifelong Knicks fan, was jokingly credited for their change in fortune by yours truly and a host of others.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of lifelong
Adjective
  • Several Fed officials have recently signaled that further rate hikes may be merited to keep inflation from becoming more entrenched.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Where other filmmakers might have come down harder on the scene, casting Nora’s experience as evidence of entrenched dysfunction and storm clouds hovering on the horizon, Pechman holds fast to good cheer.
    — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of entrenched
Adjective
  • In the end, George Bailey’s inherent goodness isn’t enough to save the world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Turnover rates are often symptoms of larger structural challenges, some of which are inherent to trade work, the State of Skilled Trades report found.
    — Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of inherent
Adjective
  • Josh, your book is deeply psychological and rooted in a child’s experience, following Bela’s narration and her uncertainty about what’s real.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Its new London office, in Fitzrovia, will focus on working with European brands and creating locally rooted content.
    — Mary Wenthur, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of rooted

Browse Nearby Words

hardcase
hard-core
hardcover
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard-core.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-core. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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