hard
adj
1 compact, dense, firm, impenetrable, inflexible, rigid, rock-like, solid, stiff, stony, strong, tough, unyielding
2 arduous, backbreaking, burdensome, exacting, exhausting, fatiguing, formidable, Herculean, laborious, rigorous, strenuous, toilsome, tough, uphill, wearying
3 baffling, complex, complicated, difficult, intricate, involved, knotty, perplexing, puzzling, tangled, thorny, unfathomable
4 affectless, callous, cold, cruel, exacting, grim, hardhearted, harsh, implacable, obdurate, pitiless, ruthless, severe, stern, strict, stubborn, unfeeling, unjust, unkind, unrelenting, unsparing, unsympathetic
5 calamitous, dark, disagreeable, disastrous, distressing, grievous, grim, intolerable, painful, unpleasant
6 driving, fierce, forceful, heavy, powerful, strong, violent
7 (of feelings or words) acrimonious, angry, antagonistic, bitter, hostile, rancorous, resentful
8 (of truth or facts) actual, bare, cold, definite, indisputable, plain, undeniable, unvarnished, verified
adv
9 energetically, fiercely, forcefully, forcibly, heavily, intensely, powerfully, severely, sharply, strongly, vigorously, violently, with all one's might, with might and main
10 assiduously, determinedly, diligently, doggedly, earnestly, industriously, intently, persistently, steadily, strenuously, untiringly
11 agonizingly, badly, distressingly, harshly, laboriously, painfully, roughly, severely, with difficulty
12 bitterly, hardly, keenly, rancorously, reluctantly, resentfully, slowly, sorely
Antonyms
, adj
1 flexible, malleable, pliable, soft, weak
easy, easy-peasy (slang) lazy, light, soft
3 clear, direct, easy, easy-peasy (slang) simple, straightforward, uncomplicated
4 agreeable, amiable, careless, flexible, friendly, gentle, good, humane, kind, lenient, merciful, mild, permissive, pleasant
adv
9 & 10 lazily, lightly, loosely, softly, weakly
11 easily, gently, softly
12 calmly, mildly, serenely
die-hard
1
n fanatic, intransigent, old fogey, reactionary, stick-in-the-mud (informal) ultraconservative, zealot
2
adj dyed-in-the-wool, immovable, inflexible, intransigent, reactionary, ultraconservative, uncompromising, unreconstructed (chiefly U.S.)
hard and fast
binding, immutable, incontrovertible, inflexible, invariable, rigid, set, strict, stringent, unalterable
hard-bitten , hard-boiled
case-hardened, cynical, down-to-earth, hard-headed, hard-nosed (informal) matter-of-fact, practical, realistic, shrewd, tough, unsentimental
Antonyms
benign, compassionate, gentle, humane, idealistic, merciful, mild, romantic, sympathetic
hard-core
1 dedicated, die-hard, dyed-in-the-wool, extreme, intransigent, obstinate, rigid, staunch, steadfast
2 explicit, obscene, X-rated (informal)
hard-favoured , hard-featured
austere, coarse-featured, forbidding, grim visaged, ill-favoured, severe, ugly
hard-headed
astute, cool, hard-boiled (informal) level-headed, practical, pragmatic, realistic, sensible, shrewd, tough, unsentimental
Antonyms
idealistic, impractical, sentimental, unrealistic
hard-hitting
critical, no holds barred, pulling no punches, strongly worded, tough, uncompromising, unsparing, vigorous
hard-nosed
businesslike, down-to-earth, hard-headed, hardline, practical, pragmatic, realistic, shrewd, tough, uncompromising, unsentimental
hard-pressed
harried, hotly pursued, in difficulties, pushed (informal) under attack, under pressure, up against it (informal) with one's back to the wall
hard up
bankrupt, broke (informal) bust (informal) cleaned out (slang) dirt-poor (informal) down and out, flat broke (informal) impecunious, impoverished, in queer street, in the red (informal) on one's uppers (informal) on the breadline, out of pocket, penniless, poor, short, short of cash or funds, skint (Brit. slang) strapped for cash (informal) without two pennies to rub together (informal)
Antonyms
affluent, comfortable (informal) fortunate, loaded (slang) rich, wealthy, well-heeled (informal) well-off
hard-wearing
durable, resilient, rugged, stout, strong, tough, well-made
hard-working
assiduous, busy, conscientious, diligent, energetic, indefatigable, industrious, sedulous, zealous
Antonyms
careless, dilatory, good-for-nothing, inconstant, indifferent, lazy