1
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
the test questions were rated for hardness, a rating of five indicating the most difficult
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
the aunt's hardness gradually crumbled under the influence of the little orphan's endearing ways
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardness
The water’s mineral content and its softness or hardness comes into play with the fermenting process, Martin said.
—
Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
Martin has a true hardness in his game, attacking the high-percentage areas and is an extremely physical player.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The column wheel is thermally blued, a process that not only enhances corrosion resistance but also increases surface hardness, and importantly - looks pleasing to the eye.
—Matthew Catellier, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
What are the limits for softness or hardness or smoothness or other characteristics of the material?
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hardness
Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
Martin has a true hardness in his game, attacking the high-percentage areas and is an extremely physical player.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The column wheel is thermally blued, a process that not only enhances corrosion resistance but also increases surface hardness, and importantly - looks pleasing to the eye.
—Matthew Catellier, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
What are the limits for softness or hardness or smoothness or other characteristics of the material?
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hardness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardness
Noun
-
Other service members also said loans from the credit union, which is offering interest-free loans amid the shutdown, was standing between them and financial hardship.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
-
During this time, Chinese workers took up laundry work, which offered economic opportunity for the early immigrants despite legal and social hardships.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The regulator emphasized the severity of the breach, noting that trust is fundamental to the relationship between broadcasters and their audiences, particularly for public service broadcasters like the BBC.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Despite the apparent severity of the injury, Rush is still scheduled to compete in a match in Mexico tonight, October 16.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Flip invented the Wheezer Scale for gauging the difficulty of hiking up hills.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Oct. 2025
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Citing financial difficulties and a new business action plan, the IDS reduced its print production last January to seven times per semester.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardness. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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