hard
/hɑːd/ adjectiveDefinition
FIRM › firm and stiff, and not easy to press or bend: a hard surface The seats in the waiting room were hard and uncomfortable.
DIFFICULT › difficult to do or understand: [+ to do sth] It must be hard to study with all this noise. Actually, the exam wasn't that hard. Quitting my job was the hardest decision I ever had to make.
WITH EFFORT › using or done with a lot of effort: the long, hard struggle With a bit of hard work and determination we might still finish on time.
UNPLEASANT › full of problems and difficult to deal with: My grandparents had a very hard life. The past few months must've been really hard for you.
NOT KIND › not gentle or kind: She had a cold, hard look in her eyes.
be hard on sb › to criticize someone too much or treat them unfairly: You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. › to make someone unhappy by causing them problems: Our divorce has been particularly hard on the children.
be hard on sth › to damage something or make it have problems: Stress can be hard on any relationship.
do/learn sth the hard way › to do or learn something by experiencing a lot of problems or difficulty → See also give sb a hard time
give sb a hard time informal › to criticize someone or to treat them unfairly: He gave me a hard time about losing his keys.
(Definition of hard adjective from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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