hard */*/*/

I UK [hɑː(r)d] / US [hɑrd] adjective
Word forms "hard":
adjective hard comparative harder superlative hardest

1) stiff, firm, and not easy to bend or break

hard wooden benches

The plastic was chosen because it is very hard and durable.

2)

a) difficult to do

Some of the questions were very hard.

find something hard:

I found the English exam quite hard.

hard for someone to do something:

It is hard for young people to get jobs in this area.

hard to do something:

It's hard to explain why I love this place so much.

hard to believe:

I find it hard to believe that we're leaving England for good.

b) involving a lot of effort

Lifting stones this size is pretty hard work.

I need to relax at the end of a hard day.

3) unpleasant and full of problems

My grandmother had a very hard life.

The family has had a hard time recently.

hard on:

It's very hard on parents when their children are being bullied at school.

4) strong and not easily frightened

He likes to pretend he's hard, but he's really soft underneath.

5) unkind, or cruel

She was deeply hurt by his hard words.

hard on:

Don't be too hard on her – she was only trying to help.

6) using a lot of physical force

He gave the door a hard shove, and it opened.

7) hard water does not mix easily with soap because it contains a lot of minerals

8)

a) a hard winter is a very cold winter

b) a hard frost is very severe

9) [only before noun] hard facts are certain and can be proved

We need some hard evidence to support our claim.

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hard right/left — a turn directly to the right or left

Take a hard right just after the school.

hard to take/swallow — difficult to accept or deal with

His bad moods are a bit hard to take at times.

- as hard as nails

- be hard on something

- do something the hard way

- give someone a hard time

- hard at it

- hard at work

- the hard stuff

- learn the hard way

- no hard feelings

- take a hard line

See:

luck I

II UK [hɑː(r)d] / US [hɑrd] adverb
Word forms "hard":
comparative harder superlative hardest

1) using a lot of effort

The Chinese team have worked very hard to get this far in the competition.

Our people fought hard to gain independence.

I was trying very hard to remember her name.

a) using a lot of force

She pressed her face hard against the glass.

You need to push harder.

I didn't mean to hit him so hard.

b) if you look, listen, or think hard, you do it carefully with your full attention

I had to think hard before coming up with the right answer.

•

Collocations:
Adverbs frequently used with hard
▪  desperately, ever so, extremely, tremendously

2) if it rains or snows hard, a lot of rain or snow falls

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be/feel hard done by — informal to be treated in an unfair way, or feel that you have been treated in an unfair way

be hard hit/hit hard — to be very badly affected by something

Small firms in particular were hard hit by the recession.

be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something — to find it very difficult to do something

I think the Conservatives will be hard put to gain support.

- hard on someone's heels

- hard on the heels of something

- take something hard

See:

play I