hard
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++hard1 /hɑːd $ hɑːrd/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative harder, superlative hardest) 1 firm to touch 坚硬的HARD firm, stiff, and difficult to press down, break, or cut 硬的，坚固的 OPP soft a hard wooden chair 一把硬木椅 the hardest substance known to man 已知的最硬物质 After months without rain, the ground was too hard to plough. 数月无雨，土地坚硬难犁。2 difficult 困难的DIFFICULT difficult to do or understand 难做的；难懂的；困难的，不易的 SYN difficult OPP easy This year’s exam was much harder than last year’s. 今年的考试比去年的难得多。 You’ll have to make some hard decisions. 你们必须作出困难的决定。 They’re a hard team to beat. 他们是一支很难打败的球队。it is hard to believe/imagine/see/know etc It was hard to see what else we could have done. 很难想出我们原本还可以做些什么。 It’s hard to believe that anyone would say something like that. 很难相信有人会说出那样的话。find it hard to do something I was finding it hard to concentrate. 我觉得很难集中精神。 Permanent jobs are hard to come by (=difficult to find or get). 很难找到固定的工作。be hard for somebody It must be hard for her, bringing up three kids on her own. 她一个人养育三个孩子，一定很不容易。 Telling my parents is going to be the hardest thing about it. 最难办的将是如何告诉我的父母。have a hard time doing something (=be difficult for someone to do something) 做某事很难 You’ll have a hard time proving that. 你要证明那一点很难。 I had a hard time persuading him to accept the offer. 我费了很多功夫说服他接受那个提议。 Such criticism was hard to take (=difficult to accept). 很难接受这样的批评。► see thesaurus at difficult3 TIREDwork/effort 工作/努力 [usually before noun] using or involving a lot of mental or physical effort 费力的，费劲的；耗费体力[脑力]的 To be successful in sport requires hard work and a great deal of determination. 要在体育方面有所成就需要艰辛的努力和百折不挠的决心。 After a hard day at work, I just want to come home and put my feet up. 辛苦工作一天之后，我只想回家休息。a hard day’s work/walking/skiing etc There’s a sauna where you can relax after a hard day’s skiing. 有一个桑拿浴室，在累人地滑了一天雪之后，你可以在里面放松一下。 Becoming a doctor never interested him. It was too much like hard work (=it would involve too much work). 对于当医生他从不感兴趣，那要付出太多的艰辛。► see thesaurus at tiring4 full of problems 充满问题的POORPROBLEM a situation or time that is hard is one in which you have a lot of problems, especially when you do not have enough money 〔尤指缺钱时处境或日子〕艰难的，困苦的，拮据的 She’s had a hard life. 她一生艰辛。 Times were hard and they were forced to sell their house. 那时的日子很艰难，他们被迫卖掉了房子。 He had clearly fallen on hard times (=did not have much money). 他显然过得很拮据。5 be hard on somebody 6 be hard on something to have a bad effect on something 对某物有害7 do something the hard way to learn, achieve, or do something after a bad experience or by making mistakes 吃过苦后做成某事8 using force 用力气STRONG PERSON using a lot of force 用力的9 hard evidence/facts/information etc facts that are definitely true and can be proved 确切[确凿]的证据/事实/情报等10 unkind 无情的UNKINDCRUEL showing no sympathetic or gentle feelings 冷酷的，无情的11 hard going 12 make hard work of something to make something you are doing seem more difficult than it really is 使某事看起来更难13 be hard at it/work informal to be very busy doing something 忙于干某事14. water 水 hard water contains a lot of minerals, and does not mix easily with soap 硬的〔含大量矿物质〕 OPP soft15 hard luck 16 give somebody a hard time informal17 have a hard time to have a lot of problems or bad experiences 日子过得不容易18 drive/strike a hard bargain to demand a lot or refuse to give too much when you are making an agreement 〔交涉时〕要求苛刻，寸步不让19 hard feelings 20 take a (long) hard look at something/somebody to think carefully about something, especially with the result that you change your opinions or behaviour 小心考虑某事/某人21 hard line a strict way of dealing with someone or something 强硬手段[态度]22 hard news news stories that are about serious subjects or events 硬新闻，重大新闻23 STRONG PERSONnot frightened 不害怕的 British English spoken strong, ready to fight, and not afraid of anyone or anything 坚强的，勇敢的24. (as) hard as nails someone who is hard as nails seems to have no feelings such as fear or sympathy 无所畏惧的；冷酷无情的25. a hard taskmaster/master someone who makes people work too hard 要求过分严格的上司；逼迫别人拼命工作的人26. a hard winter/frost a very cold winter or frost 严冬/严霜 OPP mild27 the hard left/right people who have extreme left-wing or right-wing political aims and ideas 极左/右派 SYN far left/right, extreme28 light 光 especially literary hard light is bright and unpleasant 太亮的，刺目的 SYN harsh29 MDDDRINKDRUGalcohol 酒 [only before noun] informal very strong 烈性的30. a hard left/right a big turn to the left or right, for example when you are driving 向左/向右急转 SYN sharp31. SLpronunciation 发音 a hard ‘c’ is pronounced /k/ rather than /s/; a hard ‘g’ is pronounced /g/ rather than /dz/ 发硬音的〔指字母c发/k/音而不发/s/音，字母g发/G/音而不发/dZ/音〕 → soft —hardness noun [uncountable] a material that would combine the flexibility of rubber with the hardness of glass 既有橡胶的弹性又有玻璃的硬度的一种材料 THESAURUShard difficult to press down, break, or cut, and not at all soft 硬的，坚固的I fell onto the hard stone floor. 我跌倒在坚硬的石地板上。The clay gets harder as it dries. 黏土干了就会变硬。firm not completely hard, but not easy to press or bend – used especially when this seems a good thing 结实的，坚实的〔尤在这似乎是优点时使用〕I like to sleep on a firm mattress. 我喜欢睡硬床垫。exercises to make your stomach muscles nice and firm 使腹肌健美紧实的运动nThe pears were firm and juicy.stiff difficult to bend and not changing shape 不易弯曲的，不易变形的a piece of stiff cardboard 一张硬卡纸The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable. 他的衬衫领子硬硬的，不舒服。solid made of a thick hard material and not hollow 坚固的，实心的a solid oak door 实心橡木门The floor felt strong and solid beneath her feet. 她脚下的地板坚固而结实。rigid /ˈrɪdʒəd/ having a structure that is made of a material that is difficult or impossible to bend 坚硬的，不易弯曲的The tent is supported by a rigid frame. 帐篷由坚硬的支架支撑。Carry sandwiches in a rigid container. 三明治要放在硬质容器里携带。crisp/crispy used about food that is pleasantly hard, so that it makes a noise when you bite it – often used about things that have been cooked in thin slices until they are brown 〔常指烘、烤、煎、炸至金黄色的薄片食物〕(酥)脆的Bake the cookies until they are crisp and golden. 把小甜饼烤至酥脆并呈金黄色。crispy bacon 脆熏肉crunchy food that is crunchy makes a noise when you bite on it – often used about things that are fresh, for example fruit, vegetables, and nuts 〔常指水果、蔬菜、坚果等新鲜食品〕(爽)脆的a crunchy breakfast cereal 香脆的谷类早餐食物The carrots were still nice and crunchy. 胡萝卜仍然爽脆可口。na crunchy saladncrunchy peanut buttertough meat that is tough is too hard and is difficult to cut or eat 〔肉〕切不下的；咬不动的；老的The meat was tough and flavourless. 肉很老，淡而无味。rubbery too hard and bending like rubber rather than breaking – used especially about meat 〔尤指肉〕(老得跟)橡皮似的The chicken was all rubbery. 鸡肉太老，跟橡皮似的。COLLOCATIONS CHECKfirm bed/muscles/fruit/vegetables/groundstiff card/cardboard/collar/material/fingers/bodysolid wood/steel/concrete/floor/wallrigid frame/structurecrisp/crispy apple/bacon/toast/potato/lettucecrunchy cereal/vegetables/nuts/snacktough meatrubbery meatExamples from the Corpus
hard• I thought the exam was really hard.• Keep the cake in a tin, to prevent it from going hard.• I've cooked the potatoes for half an hour but they still seem a bit hard.• As people age, their skin becomes harder and less supple.• I wish this chair wasn't so hard and uncomfortable.• A tiled floor in the kitchen is as hard as stone, and very cold beneath your feet.• a piece of hard candy• Some hard cheeses are permitted to age.• Chemistry was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken.• Let your mother sit down. She's had a hard day at work.• A hard disk is usually built into the computer and is a slightly different form of storage.• It was hard for me to understand her - her accent was very strong.• Toilet roll, used, in small smelly brown-streaked sheets - both the hard kind and the soft kind.• But the Clinton administration is still taking a hard line.• He's a hard man to work for, but he's fair.• a hard mattress• Give the door a hard push.• Diamond is probably the hardest substance known to man.• It's not my fault, John. Don't give me a hard time.• I find it hard to believe that he didn't know the gun was loaded.• It's hard to see the stage from here.• The slickest feature of all is the fully poweroperated hard top.• It was a long hard walk back to the nearest town.• Instead it meant hard work with a capital H for all the fifteen or so staff.• Mowing the lawn is hard work.• Yes, exhibitions are hard work!hard to take• We lost the game in the last few seconds; that was really hard to take.• This was just as well, because as a native he would have been a bit hard to take.• When she starts talking about how smart her kids are, it's a little hard to take.• So much dislike, when she loved him so much - it was hard to take.• That got a bit hard to take.• The death or incapacitating illness of a loved one is always hard to take.• The picture of Communist bosses turning into rich capitalists is hard to take.• The losses were hard to take, but the gains were great also.• Find it hard to take compliments?• Life was marching up such a strange road that it was sometimes hard to take it all in.too much like hard work• It was all too much like hard work.fallen on hard times• At 21 she is set for stardom, but she still finds time for people who have fallen on hard times.• Interestingly, though, the bottom 10 includes many household names fallen on hard times.• Was old Bones the equine equivalent of Manchester United then, fallen on hard times?• Worse, because of Jack the father has fallen on hard times and must meet all kinds of debts.• Now these in their turn have fallen on hard times at a time of agricultural rather than industrial recession.• The Cambridge University Automobile Club had clearly fallen on hard times, too.good hard• He had built a big new house in the valley, beside the best clay for making good hard bricks.• There are a number of good hard disk manufacturers around.hard man• But Cooper is more than a hard man.• They gave me a bad time - they'd all been in since they were seventeen and they were hard men.• It was all pleasantly noisy without any air of aggression, there were no yobs or self-styled hard men among the customers.• Wimbledon's hard man ran across the pitch to point threateningly at Middlesbrough assistant manager John Pickering.• He had to be diplomat, psychologist, hard man, soft man, entrepreneur, spiritual leader, general and peacekeeper.• Secondly, the band launched heavy metal hard man Ted Nugent, one of rock's more notable characters.• He's the hardest man to get out, that's for sure.• Dan Liszka is a hard man to track down.the hard stuff• It's all right if I drink a beer, but the doctor said to stay away from the hard stuff.• I have come to believe that the soft occult more often than not leads to the hard stuff.• That's what my father used to say whenever he took a glass of the hard stuff.• There were about a dozen writers in hospitality, most of them busy knocking back the hard stuff.• They'd imagine me prostituting myself, or on the hard stuff.• I'd ease up on the hard stuff if I were you.• The problem is that rock-climbers do all the hardest stuff in this game.• Harold thinks it would help him relax in the evening and not hit the hard stuff so hard.hard2 ●●● S1 W2 adverb (comparative harder, superlative hardest) 1 using energy/effort 用劲/努力TRY TO DO OR GET something using a lot of effort, energy, or attention 费劲地；费力地2 with force 用力STRONG PERSON with a lot of force 用力地；重重地3 become solid 变硬 becoming solid, stiff, or firm 变硬4 be hard hit/be hit hard HARM/BE BAD FORto be badly affected by something that has happened 受到严重影响，受到沉重打击5 be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something informalDIFFICULT to have difficulty doing something 难以做到某事，做某事有困难6 be/feel hard done by informalUNFAIR to be or feel unfairly treated (觉得)受到不公平对待7 take something hard UPSETto be very upset about something, especially bad news 对某事〔尤指坏消息〕感到悲伤[难过]8 hard upon/on something British English formal soon after something 紧接着某事9. laugh/cry hard LOT/VERY MUCHto laugh, cry etc a lot 笑/哭得很厉害 → hard by, hard up, → (hard/hot/close) on somebody’s heels at heel1, → (hard/hot/close) on the heels of something at heel1, → play hard to get at play1(23)Examples from the Corpus
hard• It's raining hard.• She ran all that way and she wasn't even breathing hard.• Unlike Shaw, he had to work, and he worked hard.• Elaine had been working hard all morning.• Tyson hit him hard on the chin.• This seems hard on the hippopotamus.• We try hard to keep our customers happy.• Work hard when and where you were required: that's what was in the articles.tried her hardest• Fabia was conscious of Ven every step of the way, but tried her hardest to concentrate her thoughts elsewhere.From Longman Business Dictionaryhardhard /hɑːdhɑːrd/ adjective1hard facts/numbers information based on things that can be measured, rather than feelings or opinionsInvestors are again showing respect for hard numbers like quarterly earnings.We have to separate the myths from the hard facts.2ECONOMICSa hard market is one in which there is less competition and higher prices or ratesTo be successful in a hard market, producers must devote more time than ever to cultivating relationships with clients.Origin hard1 Old English heardhard1 adjective →10-19 →20-31
→THESAURUS1hard2 adverbLDOCE OnlineChinese
→THESAURUS1hard2 adverbLDOCE OnlineChinese
Business break, stiff, down, to Corpus cut firm, or and difficult press
hard
hard1 S1 W1 /hɑːd $ hɑːrd/ 
adjective (comparative harder, superlative hardest)
OPP soft:
a hard wooden chair
the hardest substance known to man
After months without rain, the ground was too hard to plough.
2. DIFFICULT difficult to do or understand
SYN difficult
OPP easy:
This year’s exam was much harder than last year’s.
You’ll have to make some hard decisions.
They’re a hard team to beat.
it is hard to believe/imagine/see/know etc
It was hard to see what else we could have done.
It’s hard to believe that anyone would say something like that.
find it hard to do something
I was finding it hard to concentrate.
Permanent jobs are hard to come by (=difficult to find or get).
be hard for somebody
It must be hard for her, bringing up three kids on her own.
Telling my parents is going to be the hardest thing about it.
have a hard time doing something (=be difficult for someone to do something)
You’ll have a hard time proving that.
I had a hard time persuading him to accept the offer.
Such criticism was hard to take (=difficult to accept).
3. WORK/EFFORT [usually before noun] using or involving a lot of mental or physical effort:
To be successful in sport requires hard work and a great deal of determination.
After a hard day at work, I just want to come home and put my feet up.
a hard day’s work/walking/skiing etc
There’s a sauna where you can relax after a hard day’s skiing.
Becoming a doctor never interested him. It was too much like hard work (=it would involve too much work).
4. FULL OF PROBLEMS a situation or time that is hard is one in which you have a lot of problems, especially when you do not have enough money:
She’s had a hard life.
Times were hard and they were forced to sell their house.
He had clearly fallen on hard times (=did not have much money).
5. be hard on somebody
a. to criticize someone in a way that is unfair, or to be too strict with them:
Perhaps I’m too hard on her.
b. to have a bad effect on someone:
Divorce can be very hard on children.
6. be hard on something to have a bad effect on something:
Standing all day is very hard on the feet.
7. do something the hard way to learn, achieve, or do something after a bad experience or by making mistakes:
He learned the hard way about the harsh reality of the boxing world.
Make sure you put the baby’s diaper on before you start feeding her. I learned this lesson the hard way.
He earned his promotion the hard way.
8. USING FORCE using a lot of force:
Jane gave the door a good hard push.
She gave him a hard slap.
9. hard evidence/facts/information etc facts that are definitely true and can be proved:
There is no hard evidence to support this theory.
10. UNKIND showing no sympathetic or gentle feelings:
a hard face
Her voice was hard and cold.
You’re a hard man, John.
11. hard going
a. difficult to do and needing a lot of effort:
A strong wind made the race very hard going.
b. boring, or difficult to deal with, talk to etc:
I find some of his friends pretty hard going.
12. make hard work of something to make something you are doing seem more difficult than it really is:
Juventus were making hard work of what should have been an easy game.
13. be hard at it/work informal to be very busy doing something:
Sarah was hard at it on her computer.
14. WATER hard water contains a lot of minerals, and does not mix easily with soap
OPP soft
15. hard luck
a. British English spoken used to tell someone that you feel sorry for them because they have not succeeded in what they were trying to do:
‘I failed my driving test.’ ‘Oh, hard luck!’
b. when bad things happen to you that are not your fault:
You’ve had your share of hard luck.
hard luck on
It was hard luck on you.
c. spoken (also hard cheese British English) used to say that you do not care if someone is having problems, does not like something etc:
If you don’t like the idea then hard luck!
16. give somebody a hard time informal
a. to treat someone badly or cause problems for them:
Giving you a hard time, is she?
They reached the border where officials gave them a hard time.
b. to criticize someone a lot:
Hostile critics have given Hartman a hard time.
17. have a hard time to have a lot of problems or bad experiences:
I’m glad she’s happy at last – she’s had such a hard time.
Vegetarians still often have a hard time of it when it comes to eating out.
18. drive/strike a hard bargain to demand a lot or refuse to give too much when you are making an agreement:
The company is believed to have struck a hard bargain.
19. hard feelings
a. anger between people because of something that has happened:
We’d known each other too long for hard feelings.
I have no hard feelings towards Steve.
b. no hard feelings spoken used to tell someone that you do not want to be angry with them or for them to be angry with you:
I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but no hard feelings, eh?
20. take a (long) hard look at something/somebody to think carefully about something, especially with the result that you change your opinions or behaviour:
You should take a long hard look at the issues before committing yourself.
21. hard line a strict way of dealing with someone or something:
The president should abandon his hard line in the region.
take/adopt a hard line (on something)
The school takes a very hard line on drugs.
22. hard news news stories that are about serious subjects or events:
TV news programs seem to be more interested in gossip than in hard news.
23. NOT FRIGHTENED British English spoken strong, ready to fight, and not afraid of anyone or anything:
He thinks he’s really hard.
Jones was known as soccer’s hard man.
24. (as) hard as nails someone who is hard as nails seems to have no feelings such as fear or sympathy
25. a hard taskmaster/master someone who makes people work too hard
26. a hard winter/frost a very cold winter or frost
OPP mild
27. the hard left/right people who have extreme left-wing or right-wing political aims and ideas
SYN far left/right, extreme:
concerns about the re-emergence of the hard right in some areas
28. LIGHT especially literary hard light is bright and unpleasant
SYN harsh:
the hard brilliance of the moonlight
29. ALCOHOL [only before noun] informal very strong:
hard liquor
I never touch the hard stuff (=strong alcohol). ⇨ hard drugs
30. a hard left/right a big turn to the left or right, for example when you are driving
SYN sharp
31. PRONUNCIATION a hard ‘c’ is pronounced /k/ rather than /s/; a hard ‘g’ is pronounced /g/ rather than /dz/ ⇨ soft
—hardness noun [uncountable]:
a material that would combine the flexibility of rubber with the hardness of glass
▪ hard difficult to press down, break, or cut, and not at all soft: I fell onto the hard stone floor. | The clay gets harder as it dries.
▪firm not completely hard, but not easy to press or bend – used especially when this seems a good thing: I like to sleep on a firm mattress. | exercises to make your stomach muscles nice and firm | The pears were firm and juicy.
▪stiff difficult to bend and not changing shape: a piece of stiff cardboard | The collar of his shirt felt stiff and uncomfortable.
▪solid made of a thick hard material and not hollow: a solid oak door | The floor felt strong and solid beneath her feet.
▪rigid /ˈrɪdʒəd, ˈrɪdʒɪd/ having a structure that is made of a material that is difficult or impossible to bend: The tent is supported by a rigid frame. | Carry sandwiches in a rigid container.
▪crisp/crispy used about food that is pleasantly hard, so that it makes a noise when you bite it – often used about things that have been cooked in thin slices until they are brown: Bake the cookies until they are crisp and golden. | crispy bacon
▪crunchy food that is crunchy makes a noise when you bite on it – often used about things that are fresh, for example fruit, vegetables, and nuts: a crunchy breakfast cereal | The carrots were still nice and crunchy. | a crunchy salad | crunchy peanut butter
▪tough meat that is tough is too hard and is difficult to cut or eat: The meat was tough and flavourless.
▪rubbery too hard and bending like rubber rather than breaking – used especially about meat: The chicken was all rubbery.
■ COLLOCATIONS CHECK
▪firm bed/muscles/fruit/vegetables/ground
▪stiff card/cardboard/collar/material/fingers/body
▪solid wood/steel/concrete/floor/wall
▪rigid frame/structure
▪crisp/crispy apple/bacon/toast/potato/lettuce
▪crunchy cereal/vegetables/nuts/snack
▪tough meat
▪rubbery meat
hard2 S1 W2 adverb (comparative harder, superlative hardest)
She has worked hard all her life.
He had thought long and hard before getting involved with the project.
She tried her hardest to ignore what he’d said.
Ella was concentrating very hard.
I couldn’t convince him no matter how hard I tried.
2. WITH FORCE with a lot of force:
You need to hit the ball hard.
He slammed the door hard behind him.
It was raining very hard.
3. BECOME SOLID becoming solid, stiff, or firm:
By now the cement had set hard.
4. be hard hit/be hit hard to be badly affected by something that has happened:
Sales were hard hit by high interest rates.
5. be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something informal to have difficulty doing something:
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone better for the job. ⇨ hard-pressed
6. be/feel hard done by informal to be or feel unfairly treated:
As a child I felt hard done by, living so far away from my friends.
7. take something hard to be very upset about something, especially bad news:
Alan took his mother’s death particularly hard.
8. hard upon/on something British English formal soon after something:
His second major contract followed hard upon the first.
9. laugh/cry hard to laugh, cry etc a lot
⇨ hard by, hard up, ⇨ (hard/hot/close) on sb’s heels at heel1(7b), ⇨ (hard/hot/close) on the heels of something at heel1(7a), ⇨ play hard to get at play1(23)
| I |
adjective (comparative harder, superlative hardest) Word Family: noun: hardship, hardness, hardiness; adjective: hard, hardened, hardy; adverb: hard, hardly; verb: harden
Language: Old English
Origin: heard
1. FIRM TO TOUCH firm, stiff, and difficult to press down, break, or cut Origin: heard
OPP soft:
2. DIFFICULT difficult to do or understand
SYN difficult
OPP easy:
it is hard to believe/imagine/see/know etc
find it hard to do something
be hard for somebody
have a hard time doing something (=be difficult for someone to do something)
3. WORK/EFFORT [usually before noun] using or involving a lot of mental or physical effort:
a hard day’s work/walking/skiing etc
4. FULL OF PROBLEMS a situation or time that is hard is one in which you have a lot of problems, especially when you do not have enough money:
5. be hard on somebody
a. to criticize someone in a way that is unfair, or to be too strict with them:
b. to have a bad effect on someone:
6. be hard on something to have a bad effect on something:
7. do something the hard way to learn, achieve, or do something after a bad experience or by making mistakes:
8. USING FORCE using a lot of force:
9. hard evidence/facts/information etc facts that are definitely true and can be proved:
10. UNKIND showing no sympathetic or gentle feelings:
11. hard going
a. difficult to do and needing a lot of effort:
b. boring, or difficult to deal with, talk to etc:
12. make hard work of something to make something you are doing seem more difficult than it really is:
13. be hard at it/work informal to be very busy doing something:
14. WATER hard water contains a lot of minerals, and does not mix easily with soap
OPP soft
15. hard luck
a. British English spoken used to tell someone that you feel sorry for them because they have not succeeded in what they were trying to do:
b. when bad things happen to you that are not your fault:
hard luck on
c. spoken (also hard cheese British English) used to say that you do not care if someone is having problems, does not like something etc:
16. give somebody a hard time informal
a. to treat someone badly or cause problems for them:
b. to criticize someone a lot:
17. have a hard time to have a lot of problems or bad experiences:
18. drive/strike a hard bargain to demand a lot or refuse to give too much when you are making an agreement:
19. hard feelings
a. anger between people because of something that has happened:
b. no hard feelings spoken used to tell someone that you do not want to be angry with them or for them to be angry with you:
20. take a (long) hard look at something/somebody to think carefully about something, especially with the result that you change your opinions or behaviour:
21. hard line a strict way of dealing with someone or something:
take/adopt a hard line (on something)
22. hard news news stories that are about serious subjects or events:
23. NOT FRIGHTENED British English spoken strong, ready to fight, and not afraid of anyone or anything:
24. (as) hard as nails someone who is hard as nails seems to have no feelings such as fear or sympathy
25. a hard taskmaster/master someone who makes people work too hard
26. a hard winter/frost a very cold winter or frost
OPP mild
27. the hard left/right people who have extreme left-wing or right-wing political aims and ideas
SYN far left/right, extreme:
28. LIGHT especially literary hard light is bright and unpleasant
SYN harsh:
29. ALCOHOL [only before noun] informal very strong:
30. a hard left/right a big turn to the left or right, for example when you are driving
SYN sharp
31. PRONUNCIATION a hard ‘c’ is pronounced /k/ rather than /s/; a hard ‘g’ is pronounced /g/ rather than /dz/ ⇨ soft
—hardness noun [uncountable]:
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adverb (comparative harder, superlative hardest) Word Family: noun: hardship, hardness, hardiness; adjective: hard, hardened, hardy; adverb: hard, hardly; verb: harden
1. USING ENERGY/EFFORT using a lot of effort, energy, or attention: 2. WITH FORCE with a lot of force:
3. BECOME SOLID becoming solid, stiff, or firm:
4. be hard hit/be hit hard to be badly affected by something that has happened:
5. be hard put/pressed/pushed to do something informal to have difficulty doing something:
6. be/feel hard done by informal to be or feel unfairly treated:
7. take something hard to be very upset about something, especially bad news:
8. hard upon/on something British English formal soon after something:
9. laugh/cry hard to laugh, cry etc a lot
⇨ hard by, hard up, ⇨ (hard/hot/close) on sb’s heels at heel1(7b), ⇨ (hard/hot/close) on the heels of something at heel1(7a), ⇨ play hard to get at play1(23)
difficult not easy; needing effort or skill to do or understand 指困难的、费力的、难做的、难懂的 ：◆ The exam questions were quite difficult. 考题相当难。 ◆ It is difficult for young people to find jobs around here. 年轻人要在附近找到工作很难。 hard not easy; needing effort or skill to do or understand 指困难的、费力的、难做的、难懂的 ：◆ I always found languages quite hard at school. 在学校读书时我总觉得语言很难学。 ◆ It was one of the hardest things I ever did. 这是我做过的最难的事情之一。
difficult or hard? 用 difficult 还是 hard？
challenging ( difficult in an interesting way that tests your ability指困难而有意思的、有挑战性的、考验能力的 demanding difficult to do or deal with and needing a lot of effort, skill or patience 指要求高的、需要高技能或耐性的、费力的 ：◆ It is a technically demanding piece of music to play. 演奏这一段音乐需要有很高的技艺。 taxing (often used in negative statements) difficult to do and needing a lot of mental or physical effort （常用于否定句）指繁重的、费力的、伤脑筋的 ：◆ This shouldn't be too taxing for you. 这对你来说不至于太费劲。
Patterns
difficult/hard/challenging/demanding/taxing for sbdifficult/hard to do sth physically difficult/hard/challenging/demanding/taxingtechnically difficult/challenging/demandingmentally/intellectually challenging/demanding/taxing
The adverb from the adjective hard ishard .形容词 hard 的副词为 hard ：◆ I have to work hard today. 今天我得努力工作。 ◆ She has thought very hard about her future plans. 她曾经苦苦思考将来该怎么办。 ◆ It was raining hard outside. 外面雨下得很大。 Hardly is an adverb meaning 'almost not'.* hardly 为副词，意为几乎不、几乎没有 ：◆ I hardly ever go to concerts. 我很少去听音乐会。 ◆ I can hardly wait for my birthday. 我迫切等待着我的生日。 It cannot be used instead of hard .该词不能代替 hard ：◆ I've been working hardly today. ◆ She has thought very hardly about her future plans. ◆ It was raining hardly outside.