Word meaning hard to find

hard /hɑrd/USA pronunciation  
adj. andadv., -er, -est. 
adj.

1. not soft;
   solid and firm to the touch:The rock felt hard in his fist.
2. firmly formed;
   tight:a hard knot.
3. difficult to do or accomplish;
   troublesome:a hard task.[It + be + ~ + to + verb]It was hard to do that task.[be + ~ + to + verb]You are hard to please.
4. involving a great deal of effort or energy:hard labor.
5. performing or carrying on work with great effort or energy:a hard worker.
6. violent in force;
   severe:took a hard fall.
7. unfortunate:hard luck.
8. harsh;
   rough;
   cruel:hard treatment; a hard taskmaster.[be + ~ + on + object]Don’t be so hard on your kids.
9. severe;
   austere:a hard winter.
10. difficult to explain away:[before a noun]hard facts.
11. factual or definitely true:[before a noun]hard information.
12. resentful;
    bitter:[before a noun]hard feelings.
13. examining closely;
    searching:[before a noun]took a hard look at our finances.
14. lacking delicacy or softness;
    sharp:a face with hard features.
15. severe or demanding in terms:[before a noun]a hard bargain.
16. Chemistry(of water) containing mineral salts that interfere with the action of soap.
17. Economics[usually: before a noun] in coins or paper money as distinguished from checks, etc.:hard cash.
18. Business(of paper money) backed by gold reserves:hard currency.
19. Wine(of alcoholic beverages)
    • containing more than 22.5 percent alcohol by volume.

20. Drugs[before a noun] (of an illegal narcotic or drug) causing physical addiction.
21. Phonetics(of the letters c and g) pronounced as (k) in come and (g) in go.

adv.

1. with great exertion:to work hard.
2. intently or critically:to look hard at a decision.
3. harshly or severely:workers were hit hard by the recession.
4. so as to be solid, tight, or firm:The ice was frozen hard.
5. in a deeply emotional manner:He took the news very hard.

Idioms

1. Idioms hard by, near;
   in close proximity to.
2. Idioms hard put, [be + ~] barely able:We are hard put to pay the rent.

hard•ness, n. [uncountable]

hard 
(härd),USA pronunciation adj., -er, -est, adv., -er, -est, n. 
adj.

1. not soft;
   solid and firm to the touch;
   unyielding to pressure and impenetrable or almost impenetrable.
2. firmly formed;
   tight:a hard knot.
3. difficult to do or accomplish;
   fatiguing;
   troublesome:a hard task.
4. difficult or troublesome with respect to an action, situation, person, etc.:hard to please; a hard time.
5. difficult to deal with, manage, control, overcome, or understand:a hard problem.
6. involving a great deal of effort, energy, or persistence:hard labor; hard study.
7. performing or carrying on work with great effort, energy, or persistence:a hard worker.
8. vigorous or violent in force;
   severe:a hard rain; a hard fall.
9. bad;
   unendurable;
   unbearable:hard luck.
10. oppressive;
    harsh;
    rough:hard treatment.
11. austere;
    severe:a hard winter; the hard times of the Great Depression.
12. harsh or severe in dealing with others:a hard master.
13. difficult to explain away;
    undeniable:hard facts.
14. that can be verified;
    factual, as distinguished from speculation or hearsay:hard information.
15. harsh or unfriendly;
    resentful;
    severe;
    bitter:hard feelings; hard words.
16. of stern judgment or close examination;
    searching:a hard look.
17. lacking delicacy or softness;
    not blurred or diffused;
    clear and distinct;
    sharp;
    harsh:a hard line; hard features;a hard face.
18. Photography(of a photograph) contrasty.
19. severe or rigorous in terms:a hard bargain.
20. sternly realistic;
    dispassionate;
    unsentimental:a hard, practical man; a hard view of life.
21. incorrigible;
    disreputable;
    tough:a hard character.
22. [Scot. and North Eng.]niggardly;
    stingy.
23. Economicsin coins or paper money as distinguished from checks, securities, promissory notes, or other negotiable instruments).
24. Economics, Business(of paper money or a monetary system) supported by sufficient gold reserves and easily convertible into the currency of a foreign nation.
25. Banking(of money) scarce or available at high interest rates:a hard loan.
26. Businessdenoting assets with intrinsic value, as gold, silver, or diamonds.
27. (of alcoholic beverages)
    • containing more than 22.5 percent alcohol by volume, as whiskey and brandy as opposed to beer and wine.
    • strong because of fermentation;
      intoxicating:hard cider.

28. Wine(of wine) tasting excessively of tannin.
29. Drugs(of an illicit narcotic or drug) known to be physically addictive, as opium, morphine, or cocaine.
30. Chemistry(of water) containing mineral salts that interfere with the action of soap.
31. (of bread and baked goods)
    • having a firm, crisp crust or texture:hard rolls.
    • stale or tough.

32. Textiles(of a fabric) having relatively little nap;
    smooth:Silk is a harder fabric than wool or cotton.
33. Rocketry(of the landing of a rocket or space vehicle) executed without decelerating:a hard landing on the moon.Cf. soft (def. 28).
34. (of a missile base) equipped to launch missiles from underground silos.
35. (of a missile) capable of being launched from an underground silo.
36. [Mil.]being underground and strongly protected from nuclear bombardment.
37. Agriculturenoting wheats with high gluten content, milled for a bread flour as contrasted with pastry flour.
38. Phonetics
    • fortis.
    • (of c and g) pronounced as (k) in come and (g) in go, rather than as in cent, cello, suspicion, gem, or beige.
    • (of consonants in Slavic languages) not palatalized. Cf. soft (def. 26).

39. Textiles(in the making of rope) noting a lay having a considerable angle to the axis of the rope;
    short.
40. Physics(of a beam of particles or photons) having relatively high energy:hard x-rays.Cf. soft (def. 29).
41. Physiology(of the penis) erect.
42. hard of hearing. See hearing-impaired. 
43. hard up, [Informal.]
    • urgently in need of money.
    • feeling a lack or need:The country is hard up for technicians and doctors.

adv.

1. with great exertion;
   with vigor or violence;
   strenuously:to work hard; to try hard.
2. earnestly, intently, or critically:to look hard at a thing.
3. harshly or severely.
4. so as to be solid, tight, or firm:frozen hard.
5. with strong force or impact:She tripped and came down hard on her back.
6. in a deeply affected manner;
   with genuine sorrow or remorse:She took it very hard when they told her of his death.
7. closely;
   immediately:Failure and defeat seemed hard at hand. The decision to ban students from the concerts followed hard on the heels of the riot.
8. to an unreasonable or extreme degree;
   excessively;
   immoderately:He’s hitting the bottle pretty hard.
9. Nautical, Naval Termsclosely, fully, or to the extreme limit:hard aport; hard alee.
10. be hard on, to deal harshly with;
    be stern:You are being too hard on him.
11. hard by, in close proximity to;
    near:The house is hard by the river.
12. hard put, in great perplexity or difficulty;
    at a loss:We were hard put to finish the examination in one hour.

n.

1. Nautical, Naval Termsa firm or paved beach or slope convenient for hauling vessels out of the water.
2. [Brit.]
   • a firm or solid beach or foreshore.
   • a firm landing, jetty, or road across or adjoining the foreshore.

3. [Brit. Slang.]See hard labor. 

• 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged inflexible, rigid, compressed, compact, dense, resisting, adamantine, flinty. See firm ¹.
• 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged toilsome, burdensome, wearisome, exhausting.
  Hard, difficult both describe something resistant to one’s efforts or one’s endurance.
  Hard is the general word:hard times; It was hard to endure the severe weather.Difficult means not easy, and particularly denotes that which requires special effort or skill:a difficult task.
• 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged complex, complicated, perplexing, puzzling, intricate, knotty, tough.
• 6.See corresponding entry in Unabridged arduous, onerous, laborious.
• 8.See corresponding entry in Unabridged stormy, tempestuous.
• 10.See corresponding entry in Unabridged severe, rigorous, grinding, cruel, merciless, unsparing.
• 12.See corresponding entry in Unabridged stern, austere, strict, exacting, relentless, obdurate, adamant; unyielding, unpitying.
  Hard, callous, unfeeling, unsympathetic imply a lack of interest in, feeling for, or sympathy with others.
  Hard implies insensibility, either natural or acquired, so that the plight of others makes no impression on one:a hard taskmaster.Callous may mean the same or that one is himself or herself insensitive to hurt as the result of continued repression and indifference:a callous answer; callous to criticism.Unfeeling implies natural inability to feel with and for others:an unfeeling and thoughtless remark.Unsympathetic implies an indifference that precludes pity, compassion, or the like:unsympathetic toward distress.
• 13.See corresponding entry in Unabridged incontrovertible.

• 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged soft.
• 3 –6.See corresponding entry in Unabridged easy.

hard /hɑːd/ adj

1. firm or rigid; not easily dented, crushed, or pierced
2. toughened by or as if by physical labour; not soft or smooth: hard hands
3. difficult to do or accomplish; arduous: a hard task
4. difficult to understand or perceive: a hard question
5. showing or requiring considerable physical or mental energy, effort, or application: hard work, a hard drinker
6. exacting; demanding: a hard master
7. harsh; cruel: a hard fate
8. inflicting pain, sorrow, distress, or hardship: hard times
9. tough or adamant: a hard man
10. forceful or violent: a hard knock
11. cool or uncompromising: we took a long hard look at our profit factor
12. indisputable; real: hard facts
13. (of water) impairing the formation of a lather by soap
14. practical, shrewd, or calculating: he is a hard man in business
15. too harsh to be pleasant: hard light
16. (of currency) in strong demand, esp as a result of a good balance of payments situation
17. (of credit) difficult to obtain; tight
18. (of alcoholic drink) being a spirit rather than a wine, beer, etc
19. (of a drug such as heroin, morphine, or cocaine) highly addictive
20. (of radiation, such as gamma rays and X-rays) having high energy and the ability to penetrate solids
21. chiefly US (of goods) durable
22. short for hard-core
23. (not in modern technical usage) denoting the consonants c and g in English when they are pronounced as velar stops (k, g)
24. being heavily fortified and protected
25. (of nuclear missiles) located underground in massively reinforced silos
26. politically extreme: the hard left
27. Brit NZ informal incorrigible or disreputable (esp in the phrase a hard case)
28. a hard nut to crack ⇒ a person not easily persuaded or won over
29. a thing not easily understood
30. hard by ⇒ near; close by
31. hard up ⇒ informal in need of money; poor
32. (followed by for) in great need (of): hard up for suggestions

adv

1. with great energy, force, or vigour: the team always played hard
2. as far as possible; all the way: hard left
3. with application; earnestly or intently: she thought hard about the formula
4. with great intensity, force, or violence: his son’s death hit him hard
5. followed by on, upon, by, or after: close; near: hard on his heels
6. (followed by at) assiduously; devotedly
7. with effort or difficulty: their victory was hard won
8. (in combination): hard-earned
9. slowly and reluctantly: prejudice dies hard
10. go hard with ⇒ to cause pain or difficulty to (someone)
11. hard put, hard put to it ⇒ scarcely having the capacity (to do something)

n

1. Brit a roadway across a foreshore
2. slang hard labour
3. slang an erection of the penis (esp in the phrase get or have a hard on)

Etymology: Old English heard; related to Old Norse harthr, Old Frisian herd, Old High German herti, Gothic hardus hard, Greek kratus strong