hard

adjective

/hɑːd/

/hɑːrd/

(comparative harder, superlative hardest)

Idioms

jump to other results

difficult

difficult to do, understand or answer

a hard choice/decision/question
hard to do something It is hard to believe that she's only nine.
It's hard to see how they can lose.
It's hard to imagine a more cynical political strategy.
‘When will the job be finished?’ ‘It's hard to say (= it is difficult to be certain)’ .
It's getting harder and harder to earn enough to pay the rent.
I find his attitude very hard to take (= difficult to accept).
We're finding reliable staff hard to come by (= difficult to get).
Houses like this are extremely hard to find.
You are hard to please, aren’t you?
I found it hard to believe what they told me.
hard for somebody It must be hard for her, bringing up four children on her own.
hard for somebody to do something It's hard for old people to change their ways.

opposite easy

Extra Examples

I found the exam quite hard.
I always found languages quite hard at school.
Some viruses can be harder to identify.
The reason for their absence wasn't hard to find.
They were given a list of hard spellings to learn.
If you tell the children the answers, it only makes it harder for them to do the work on their own.
It can be very hard for people to accept change.

Topics Difficulty and failurea1, Working lifea1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs

be
look
seem
…

adverb

extremely
fairly
very
…

See full entry

full of difficulty and problems, especially because of a lack of money synonym tough

Times were hard at the end of the war.
She's had a hard life.

opposite easy

Life got very hard.
Conditions were extremely hard in the camps.

Topics Difficulty and failurea1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs

be
look
seem
…

adverb

extremely
fairly
very
…

See full entry

needing/using effort

needing or using a lot of physical strength or mental effort

It's hard work shovelling snow.
This is the hardest part of my job.
It was one of the hardest things I ever did.
I've had a long hard day.
This season has been a hard slog.
They had put in hours of hard graft.

Synonyms difficultdifficult

hard
challenging
demanding
taxing

These words all describe something that is not easy and requires a lot of effort or skill to do.

difficult
not easy; needing effort or skill to do or understand:
- The exam questions were quite difficult.
- It is difficult for young people to find jobs around here.
hard
not easy; needing effort or skill to do or understand:
- I always found languages quite hard at school.
- It was one of the hardest things I ever did.

difficult or hard?Hard is slightly less formal than difficult. It is used particularly in the structure hard to believe/say/find/take, etc., although difficult can also be used in any of these examples.

challenging (approving) difficult in an interesting way that tests your ability.
demanding
difficult to do or deal with and needing a lot of effort, skill, etc.:
- It is a technically demanding piece of music to play.
taxing
(often used in negative statements) difficult to do and needing a lot of mental or physical effort:
- This shouldn’t be too taxing for you.

Patterns

difficult/hard/challenging/demanding/taxing for somebody
difficult/hard to do something
physically difficult/hard/challenging/demanding/taxing
technically difficult/challenging/demanding
mentally/intellectually challenging/demanding/taxing

Topics Difficulty and failurea1

(of people) putting a lot of effort or energy into an activity

She's a very hard worker.
He's hard at work on a new novel.
When I left they were all still hard at it (= working hard).

done with a lot of strength or force

He gave the door a good hard kick.
a hard punch

solid/stiff

solid or stiff and difficult to bend or break

Wait for the concrete to go hard.
a hard mattress
Diamonds are the hardest known mineral.

opposite soft

Extra Examples

The chairs felt hard and uncomfortable.
The ground is still rock-hard.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs

be
feel
look
…

adverb

extremely
fairly
very
…

phrases

rock hard

See full entry

without sympathy

showing no kind feelings or sympathy

My father was a hard man.
She gave me a hard stare.
His voice was hard.
He said some very hard things to me.

not afraid

(informal) (of people) showing no signs of fear or weakness; ready to fight or compete synonym tough (4)

Come and get me if you think you're hard enough.
You think you're really hard, don't you?
He's as hard and uncompromising as any professional sportsman.

facts/evidence

[only before noun] definitely true and based on information that can be proved

Is there any hard evidence either way?
The newspaper story is based on hard facts.

weather

very cold and severe

It had been a hard winter.
There was a hard frost that night.

compare mildTopics Weatherc2

drink

[only before noun] strongly alcoholic

hard liquor
(informal) a drop of the hard stuff (= a strong alcoholic drink)

compare soft drink

water

containing calcium and other mineral salts that make mixing with soap difficult

a hard water area
Our water is very hard.

opposite soft

consonants

(phonetics) used to describe a letter c or g when pronounced as in ‘cat’ or ‘go’, rather than as in ‘city’ or ‘giant’ opposite soft

Word OriginOld English hard, heard, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hard and German hart.

Idioms

be hard on somebody/something

to treat or criticize somebody in a very severe or strict way
- Don't be too hard on him—he's very young.
to be difficult for or unfair to somebody/something
- It's hard on people who don't have a car.
to be likely to hurt or damage something
- Looking at a computer screen all day can be very hard on the eyes.

(caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place

in a situation where you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant

drive/strike a hard bargain

to argue in an aggressive way and force somebody to agree on the best possible price or arrangementTopics Discussion and agreementc2

give somebody a hard time

to deliberately make a situation difficult and unpleasant for somebody
- They really gave me a hard time at the interview.

hard and fast

(especially after a negative) that cannot be changed in any circumstances
- There are no hard and fast rules about this.
- This situation isn’t hard and fast.

(as) hard as nails

showing no fear, sympathy or kind behaviour

hard cheese

(British English, informal) used as a way of saying that you are sorry about something, usually ironically (= you really mean the opposite)

hard going

difficult to understand or needing a lot of effort
- I'm finding his latest novel very hard going.

hard luck

(British English) used to tell somebody that you feel sorry for them
- ‘Failed again, I'm afraid.’ ‘Oh, hard luck.’

a hard/tough nut (to crack)

a difficult problem or situation to deal with

a hard/tough act to follow

a person or event that is so good or successful at something that it will be difficult for anyone/anything else coming after them to be as good or successful
- She has been an excellent principal and will be a hard act to follow.
- Their contribution will prove a tough act to follow.
Topics Successc2

the hard way

by having an unpleasant experience or by making mistakes
- She won't listen to my advice so she'll just have to learn the hard way.
- He learned about the dangers of drugs the hard way.

have a (hard/difficult) job doing/to do something

to have difficulty doing something
- You'll have a job convincing them that you're right.
- He had a hard job to make himself heard.
Extra Examples
- He'll have a tough job getting the team into shape in time.
- It's very dark out there, you'll have a job to see anything.
Topics Difficulty and failurec2

make hard work of something

to use more time or energy on a task than is necessary

no hard feelings

used after you have been arguing with somebody or have beaten them in a contest but you would still like to be friendly with them
- It looks like I'm the winner again. No hard feelings, Dave, eh?
- Someone has to lose. No hard feelings, eh?
Topics Opinion and argumentc2

play hard to get

(informal) to make yourself seem more attractive or interesting by not immediately accepting an invitation to do something

take a long (cool/hard) look at something

to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying
- We need to take a long, hard look at all the options.

too much like hard work

needing too much effort
- I can't be bothered making a hot meal—it's too much like hard work.

hard

adverb

/hɑːd/

/hɑːrd/

(harder, hardest)

Idioms

jump to other results

with effort

with great effort; with difficulty

to work hard
You must try harder.
She tried her hardest not to show how disappointed she was.
He was still breathing hard after his run.
You shouldn't train too hard—be careful about injuries.
He is fighting hard to keep his job.
She trained hard twice a day.
Our victory was hard won (= won with great difficulty).

Which Word? hard / hardlyhard / hardly

The adverb from the adjective hard is hard:
- I have to work hard today.
- She has thought very hard about her future plans.
- It was raining hard outside.
Hardly is an adverb meaning ‘almost not’:
- I hardly ever go to concerts.
- I can hardly wait for my birthday.
It cannot be used instead of hard:
- I’ve been working hardly today.
- She has thought very hardly about her future plans.
- It was raining hardly outside.

note at hardly

Extra Examples

He had studied hard to become an engineer.
I trained as hard as I could.
The industry has been lobbying hard for cuts in electricity pricing.
They prayed hard for rain.

Topics Difficulty and failurea1

with force

with great force

Don't hit it so hard!
I pressed the accelerator hard and the car sped off.
(figurative) Small businesses have been hit hard/hard hit by the recession.

carefully

carefully and completely

to think hard
We thought long and hard before deciding to move house.
They need to look hard at the facts of this case.

a lot

heavily; a lot or for a long time

It was raining hard when we set off.

left/right

at a sharp angle to the left/right

Turn hard right at the next junction.

Word OriginOld English hard, heard, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hard and German hart.

Idioms

be/feel hard done by

(informal) to be or feel unfairly treated
- She has every right to feel hard done by—her parents have given her nothing.

be hard pressed/pushed to do something | be hard put (to it) to do something

to find it very difficult to do something
- He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.

be hard up for something

to have too few or too little of something
- We're hard up for ideas.
see also hard up

hard on something

(literary) very soon after
- His death followed hard on hers.

hard/hot on somebody’s/something’s heels

very close behind somebody/something; very soon after something
- He turned and fled with Peter hot on his heels.
- They reached the border with the police hot on their heels.
- Further successes came hot on the heels of her first best-selling novel.
- News of rising unemployment followed hard on the heels of falling export figures.

old habits, traditions, etc. die hard

used to say that things change very slowly

take something hard

to be very upset by something
- He took his wife's death very hard.

单词	hard
释义	hard adjective /hɑːd/ /hɑːrd/ (comparative harder, superlative hardest) Idioms jump to other results difficult difficult to do, understand or answer a hard choice/decision/question hard to do something It is hard to believe that she's only nine. It's hard to see how they can lose. It's hard to imagine a more cynical political strategy. ‘When will the job be finished?’ ‘It's hard to say (= it is difficult to be certain)’ . It's getting harder and harder to earn enough to pay the rent. I find his attitude very hard to take (= difficult to accept). We're finding reliable staff hard to come by (= difficult to get). Houses like this are extremely hard to find. You are hard to please, aren’t you? I found it hard to believe what they told me. hard for somebody It must be hard for her, bringing up four children on her own. hard for somebody to do something It's hard for old people to change their ways. opposite easy Extra Examples I found the exam quite hard. I always found languages quite hard at school. Some viruses can be harder to identify. The reason for their absence wasn't hard to find. They were given a list of hard spellings to learn. If you tell the children the answers, it only makes it harder for them to do the work on their own. It can be very hard for people to accept change. Topics Difficulty and failurea1, Working lifea1 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs be look seem … adverb extremely fairly very … See full entry full of difficulty and problems, especially because of a lack of money synonym tough Times were hard at the end of the war. She's had a hard life. opposite easy Life got very hard. Conditions were extremely hard in the camps. Topics Difficulty and failurea1 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs be look seem … adverb extremely fairly very … See full entry needing/using effort needing or using a lot of physical strength or mental effort It's hard work shovelling snow. This is the hardest part of my job. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. I've had a long hard day. This season has been a hard slog. They had put in hours of hard graft. Synonyms difficultdifficult hard challenging demanding taxing These words all describe something that is not easy and requires a lot of effort or skill to do. difficult not easy; needing effort or skill to do or understand: The exam questions were quite difficult. It is difficult for young people to find jobs around here. hard not easy; needing effort or skill to do or understand: I always found languages quite hard at school. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. difficult or hard?Hard is slightly less formal than difficult. It is used particularly in the structure hard to believe/say/find/take, etc., although difficult can also be used in any of these examples. challenging (approving) difficult in an interesting way that tests your ability. demanding difficult to do or deal with and needing a lot of effort, skill, etc.: It is a technically demanding piece of music to play. taxing (often used in negative statements) difficult to do and needing a lot of mental or physical effort: This shouldn’t be too taxing for you. Patterns difficult/hard/challenging/demanding/taxing for somebody difficult/hard to do something physically difficult/hard/challenging/demanding/taxing technically difficult/challenging/demanding mentally/intellectually challenging/demanding/taxing Topics Difficulty and failurea1 (of people) putting a lot of effort or energy into an activity She's a very hard worker. He's hard at work on a new novel. When I left they were all still hard at it (= working hard). done with a lot of strength or force He gave the door a good hard kick. a hard punch solid/stiff solid or stiff and difficult to bend or break Wait for the concrete to go hard. a hard mattress Diamonds are the hardest known mineral. opposite soft Extra Examples The chairs felt hard and uncomfortable. The ground is still rock-hard. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs be feel look … adverb extremely fairly very … phrases rock hard See full entry without sympathy showing no kind feelings or sympathy My father was a hard man. She gave me a hard stare. His voice was hard. He said some very hard things to me. not afraid (informal) (of people) showing no signs of fear or weakness; ready to fight or compete synonym tough (4) Come and get me if you think you're hard enough. You think you're really hard, don't you? He's as hard and uncompromising as any professional sportsman. facts/evidence [only before noun] definitely true and based on information that can be proved Is there any hard evidence either way? The newspaper story is based on hard facts. weather very cold and severe It had been a hard winter. There was a hard frost that night. compare mildTopics Weatherc2 drink [only before noun] strongly alcoholic hard liquor (informal) a drop of the hard stuff (= a strong alcoholic drink) compare soft drink water containing calcium and other mineral salts that make mixing with soap difficult a hard water area Our water is very hard. opposite soft consonants (phonetics) used to describe a letter c or g when pronounced as in ‘cat’ or ‘go’, rather than as in ‘city’ or ‘giant’ opposite soft Word OriginOld English hard, heard, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hard and German hart. Idioms be hard on somebody/something to treat or criticize somebody in a very severe or strict way Don't be too hard on him—he's very young. to be difficult for or unfair to somebody/something It's hard on people who don't have a car. to be likely to hurt or damage something Looking at a computer screen all day can be very hard on the eyes. (caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place in a situation where you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant drive/strike a hard bargain to argue in an aggressive way and force somebody to agree on the best possible price or arrangementTopics Discussion and agreementc2 give somebody a hard time to deliberately make a situation difficult and unpleasant for somebody They really gave me a hard time at the interview. hard and fast (especially after a negative) that cannot be changed in any circumstances There are no hard and fast rules about this. This situation isn’t hard and fast. (as) hard as nails showing no fear, sympathy or kind behaviour hard cheese (British English, informal) used as a way of saying that you are sorry about something, usually ironically (= you really mean the opposite) hard going difficult to understand or needing a lot of effort I'm finding his latest novel very hard going. hard luck (British English) used to tell somebody that you feel sorry for them ‘Failed again, I'm afraid.’ ‘Oh, hard luck.’ a hard/tough nut (to crack) a difficult problem or situation to deal with a hard/tough act to follow a person or event that is so good or successful at something that it will be difficult for anyone/anything else coming after them to be as good or successful She has been an excellent principal and will be a hard act to follow. Their contribution will prove a tough act to follow. Topics Successc2 the hard way by having an unpleasant experience or by making mistakes She won't listen to my advice so she'll just have to learn the hard way. He learned about the dangers of drugs the hard way. have a (hard/difficult) job doing/to do something to have difficulty doing something You'll have a job convincing them that you're right. He had a hard job to make himself heard. Extra Examples He'll have a tough job getting the team into shape in time. It's very dark out there, you'll have a job to see anything. Topics Difficulty and failurec2 make hard work of something to use more time or energy on a task than is necessary no hard feelings used after you have been arguing with somebody or have beaten them in a contest but you would still like to be friendly with them It looks like I'm the winner again. No hard feelings, Dave, eh? Someone has to lose. No hard feelings, eh? Topics Opinion and argumentc2 play hard to get (informal) to make yourself seem more attractive or interesting by not immediately accepting an invitation to do something take a long (cool/hard) look at something to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying We need to take a long, hard look at all the options. too much like hard work needing too much effort I can't be bothered making a hot meal—it's too much like hard work. hard adverb /hɑːd/ /hɑːrd/ (harder, hardest) Idioms jump to other results with effort with great effort; with difficulty to work hard You must try harder. She tried her hardest not to show how disappointed she was. He was still breathing hard after his run. You shouldn't train too hard—be careful about injuries. He is fighting hard to keep his job. She trained hard twice a day. Our victory was hard won (= won with great difficulty). Which Word? hard / hardlyhard / hardly The adverb from the adjective hard is hard: I have to work hard today. She has thought very hard about her future plans. It was raining hard outside. Hardly is an adverb meaning ‘almost not’: I hardly ever go to concerts. I can hardly wait for my birthday. It cannot be used instead of hard: I’ve been working hardly today. She has thought very hardly about her future plans. It was raining hardly outside. note at hardly Extra Examples He had studied hard to become an engineer. I trained as hard as I could. The industry has been lobbying hard for cuts in electricity pricing. They prayed hard for rain. Topics Difficulty and failurea1 with force with great force Don't hit it so hard! I pressed the accelerator hard and the car sped off. (figurative) Small businesses have been hit hard/hard hit by the recession. carefully carefully and completely to think hard We thought long and hard before deciding to move house. They need to look hard at the facts of this case. a lot heavily; a lot or for a long time It was raining hard when we set off. left/right at a sharp angle to the left/right Turn hard right at the next junction. Word OriginOld English hard, heard, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hard and German hart. Idioms be/feel hard done by (informal) to be or feel unfairly treated She has every right to feel hard done by—her parents have given her nothing. be hard pressed/pushed to do something \| be hard put (to it) to do something to find it very difficult to do something He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance. be hard up for something to have too few or too little of something We're hard up for ideas. see also hard up hard on something (literary) very soon after His death followed hard on hers. hard/hot on somebody’s/something’s heels very close behind somebody/something; very soon after something He turned and fled with Peter hot on his heels. They reached the border with the police hot on their heels. Further successes came hot on the heels of her first best-selling novel. News of rising unemployment followed hard on the heels of falling export figures. old habits, traditions, etc. die hard used to say that things change very slowly take something hard to be very upset by something He took his wife's death very hard.
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