Reading Theme:

Language:

Font Size:

📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Hard Meaning: Definitions, Examples & Usage (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：difficult (hard)

hard 🔊

/hɑːrd/

adj./adv.

Not easy, needing a lot of effort or skill to do or understand.

difficult 🔊

➕

/ˈdɪfɪkəlt/

adj./adv.

Requiring great effort, skill, or endurance; not easy.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'heard', from Proto-Germanic '*harduz', meaning 'strong, firm'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a hard diamond: it's tough to scratch, just like a hard problem is tough to solve.

📖 Example

She found the final exam questions to be incredibly hard, requiring her to think deeply about concepts they had just learned. 🔊 She found the final exam questions to be incredibly hard, requiring her to think deeply about concepts they had just learned.

🔗 Collocations

hard work – Work that demands a lot of physical or mental effort.

hard time – A period of difficulty or trouble.

hard task – A task that is challenging to complete.

🔄 Synonyms

difficult (adj.) – Needing much effort or skill to accomplish.

tough (adj.) – Strong and resilient; difficult to deal with.

challenging (adj.) – Testing one's abilities; demanding.

🚫 Antonyms

easy (adj.) – Not requiring much effort or difficulty.

simple (adj.) – Easily understood or done; not complex.

effortless (adj.) – Requiring no physical or mental exertion.

🌱 Derivatives

hardness (n.) – The quality of being difficult or firm.

harden (v.) – To make or become hard or tougher.

hardly (adv.) – Barely; almost not.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'hard' has remained stable for over 1,000 years. In modern English, it appears in idioms like 'hard as nails' (tough) and 'hard facts' (undeniable).

Meaning 2：firm (hard)

hard 🔊

/hɑːrd/

adj./adv.

Firm and not easy to bend, break, or press out of shape.

firm 🔊

➕

/fɜːrm/

adj./adv.

Having a solid, unyielding surface or structure; not soft.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Be careful not to drop the vase; it's made of hard porcelain and could easily shatter on the tile floor. 🔊 Be careful not to drop the vase; it is made of hard porcelain and could easily break on the tile floor.

🔗 Collocations

hard surface – A surface that is firm and resistant to pressure.

hard rock – Rock that is dense and difficult to break.

hard wood – Wood from deciduous trees, known for its density and strength.

🔄 Synonyms

firm (adj.) – Having a solid, stable structure; not soft.

solid (adj.) – Firm and stable in shape; not liquid or gaseous.

rigid (adj.) – Not flexible; stiff and unyielding.

🚫 Antonyms

soft (adj.) – Easily pressed, bent, or cut; not hard.

flexible (adj.) – Capable of bending easily without breaking.

pliable (adj.) – Easily bent or shaped.

🌱 Derivatives

hardness (n.) – The quality of being firm and resistant to pressure.

harden (v.) – To make or become hard.

Meaning 3：diligently (hard)

hard 🔊

/hɑːrd/

adj./adv.

With a lot of effort, energy, or force. Used as an adverb.

diligently 🔊

➕

/ˈdɪlɪdʒəntli/

adj./adv.

In a way that demands or shows great effort, energy, or determination.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

He studies very hard every night to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor. 🔊 He studies very hard every night to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor.

🔗 Collocations

work hard – To exert a lot of physical or mental effort.

try hard – To make a strong attempt.

study hard – To devote intense effort to learning.

🔄 Synonyms

diligently (adv.) – In a careful and persistent manner.

energetically (adv.) – With great energy and enthusiasm.

strenuously (adv.) – With great effort or force.

🚫 Antonyms

lazily (adv.) – In a manner that avoids effort or activity.

idly (adv.) – Without purpose or effort.

easily (adv.) – Without difficulty or effort.