Super Glossary

Hard Adjective Synonyms
bad, difficult, grievous, calamitous, racking, disastrous, dark, grim, distressing, devastating, agonizing, painful, unpleasant, severe, austere, tough, rough
The years of the Great Depression were hard for everyone.

violently, deeply, intensely, badly, distressingly, painfully, severely, agonizingly
Failing the examination hit him quite hard.

vigorously, forcefully, forcibly, energetically, mightily, arduously, laboriously, strenuously, earnestly, actively, dynamically, eagerly, intensely, ardently, heartily, zealously, intently, spiritedly, diligently, assiduously, sedulously, studiously
They always had to work very hard just to scrape by. He's hard at work writing his new book.

difficult, perplexing, knotty, puzzling, baffling, enigmatic, intricate, complicated, complex, tangled, involved, thorny, incomprehensible, inscrutable, unsolvable, insoluble, tough
There were a lot of hard questions in the exam.

addictive, habit-forming
He later changed from marijuana to hard drugs.

cold, bare, plain, straight, straightforward, blunt, unvarnished, unquestionable, verifiable, real, indisputable, undeniable, incontestable, incontrovertible, strict, inescapable, ineluctable, unavoidable, unalterable, immutable
The hard fact is that the bill has never been paid.

cool, unemotional, calculating, uncompromising, methodical, critical, systematic, practical, pragmatic, businesslike, realistic, penetrating, searching, hard-headed, tough, hard-nosed
Shareholders should take a hard look at the annual report. Chapelle drives a hard bargain.

sharp, well-defined, clear, distinct, stark, definite
Note the hard edges of objects in Realist paintings.

spirituous, alcoholic, strong
She won't touch hard liquor.

stern, cold, callous, intractable, exacting, strict, demanding, hard-hearted, stony-hearted, severe, tyrannical, despotic, dictatorial, magisterial, oppressive, cruel, ruthless, pitiless, merciless, savage, brutal, brutish, inhuman, heartless, harsh, unki
Hemel is a hard taskmaster. Of the prison warders, each was harder than the next. He advocates taking a hard line against white-collar crime.

sedulous, assiduous, devoted, conscientious, industrious, indefatigable, untiring, persistent, dogged, intent, eager, zealous, ardent, energetic, keen, avid
Galpin is a very hard worker who gets a lot done.

angry, bitter, acrimonious, hostile, antagonistic, harsh, unpleasant, unfriendly
I'm afraid there were some hard words between us.

Hard Adverb Synonyms
harshly, severely, badly, ill
It's going to go hard with her if she doesn't change her ways.

intently, carefully, earnestly
The judge thought long and hard before passing sentence.

Hard Verb Synonyms
rigid, stiff, solid, inflexible, firm, dense, condensed, compressed, close, solidified, hardened, stony, rocklike, concrete, petrified, granite(-like), flinty, steely, tough, rugged, leathery, callous, unyielding, adamant(ine), impenetrable, obdurate
The cement gets hard in an hour. This steak is as hard as shoe-leather. The metal was so hard that I broke three drills trying to make a hole in it.

difficult, laborious, arduous, back-breaking, burdensome, onerous, fatiguing, tiring, exhausting, wearying, strenuous, tough, toilsome
Laying track for the railway is a very hard job.

Search Google for Hard: