knotty, problematic, recondite, serious, spiny, thorny, ticklish, tricky, stubborn; burdensome, exhausting, labored, onerous, oppressive, problem, sore, stressful, taxing, tight, trying, uphill; annoying, distressing, bothersome, irksome, troublesome, vexatious; grievous, grim, heavy, strict, stringent; brutal, cruel, inhuman, painful
Antonyms
easy, effortless, facile, simple, soft, undemanding
2hard adverb 1 a : with great or utmost effort or energy
b : in a fierce or violent manner
2 a : in such a manner as to cause hardship, difficulty, or pain
b : with rancor, bitterness, or grief
3 : close in time or space
Synonyms
[1a] determinedly, diligently, hardly, laboriously, mightily, slavishly, strenuously, tirelessly; also actively, briskly, busily, energetically, feverishly, vehemently, vigorously, zealously; continuously, indefatigably, ploddingly, steadily, unrelentingly, unremittingly; ardently, attentively, conscientiously, earnestly, exhaustively, meticulously, painstakingly, seriously, thoroughly
[1b] energetically, firmly, forcefully, forcibly, mightily, powerfully, stiffly, stoutly, strenuously, strongly, sturdily, vigorously; also robustly, sharply, vehemently, violently; briskly, crisply, heartily, lustily, vivaciously; decidedly, determinedly, directly, emphatically, fast, fixedly, intensively, intently, resolutely, rigidly, smartly, solidly, soundly, squarely, steadfastly, steadily, surely; aggressively, manfully
Antonyms
feebly, gently, softly, weakly
[2a] hardly, harshly, ill, oppressively, roughly, severely, sternly, stiffly—more at HARDLY
[2b] agonizingly, bitterly, grievously, hardly, sadly, sorrowfully, unhappily, woefully, wretchedly; also abjectly, dejectedly, despondently, blackly, darkly, forlornly, gloomily, miserably; acutely, harshly, keenly, severely, sharply; cruelly, ill
Antonyms
gladly, happily, joyfully, joyously
[3] around, by, close, in, near, nearby, nigh—more at NEAR
hard–and–fast adjective : rigidly binding Synonyms
certain, determinate, final, firm, fixed, flat, frozen, hard, set, settled, stable—more at FIXED
fast, fixed, immutable, inflexible, unalterable, unchangeable—more at INFLEXIBLE
hard·back noun : a hardcover book
hard·ball noun 1 : BASEBALL
2 : forceful uncompromising methods
hard–bit·ten adjective : seasoned or steeled by difficult experience : TOUGH <~ campaigners>
Synonyms
hard, hardy, rugged, stout, strong, sturdy, tough, vigorous—more at HARDY
hard·board noun : a very dense fiberboard
hard–boiled adjective 1 of an egg : boiled until both white and yolk have solidified
2 a : lacking sentiment
b : HARDHEADED 2
hard·bound adjective : HARDCOVER
hard copy noun : copy of textual or graphic information (as from computer storage) produced on paper
hard–core adjective 1 : extremely resistant to solution or improvement
2 : being the most determined or dedicated members of a specified group
3 : containing explicit depictions of sex acts
— hard core noun
hard·cov·er adjective : having rigid boards on the sides covered in cloth or paper <~ books>
hard disk noun : a sealed rigid metal disk used as a computer storage device
hard–drive noun : a data-storage device consisting of a drive and one or more hard disks
hard·en verb 1 : to make or become hard or harder
2 : to confirm or become confirmed in disposition or action
3 : to make hardy or robust
— hard·en·er noun
Synonyms
[1] concrete, congeal, firm, freeze, set, solidify; also cake, callus, encrust; coagulate, clot, gel, jell, jelly, stiffen, thicken; calcify, crystallize, ossify, petrify; anneal, temper
Antonyms
soften
[3] fortify, season, steel, strengthen, toughen; also acclimate, acclimatize, adapt, adjust; anneal, temper; invigorate, vitalize; immunize; bolster, boost, brace, buttress, forearm, prop (up), reinforce, support; break in, limber (up), train; accustom, condition, habituate, naturalize
Antonyms
soften
hard·hack noun : an American spirea with dense clusters of pink or white flowers and leaves