hard

/hɑːd/ (bre, ipa) · /hɑːrd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhärd/ (ame, mw)

hard — 形容詞

  • hardpositive
  • hardercomparative
  • hardestsuperlative

1. Something that is hard does not change shape easily when you push or press it, a

1.形容詞A2
釋義

堅硬的

不易彎曲、切割或破裂的

Something that is hard does not change shape easily when you push or press it, and is not soft.

例句

Walid hit his hand against the hard wooden table and quickly pulled it back in pain.

Walid 用手敲到那張堅硬的木桌時，痛得縮回了手。

hard + noun for solid surfaces

A hard surface like stone or metal works well for rolling out dough.

像石頭或金屬這樣的硬表面，很適合用來擀麵團。

同義詞
  • firm

    less strong than hard; slightly soft when pressed but still solid

  • solid

    emphasises the inside being dense, not hollow or liquid

  • stiff

    used especially for materials that do not bend easily, like cardboard or new shoes

反義詞
  • soft

    changes shape easily when pressed

2. not simple; you need a lot of thinking, ability, or patience to make sense of it

2.形容詞A1
釋義

困難的

需要大量思考、技巧或耐心才能做或理解的

not simple; you need a lot of thinking, ability, or patience to make sense of it or finish it.

例句

The maths test was very hard, and Christopher could not finish all the questions.

數學考試非常難，Christopher 沒辦法寫完所有題目。

It is hard for Gabriela to wake up early every morning because she works late.

Gabriela 每天早起很困難，因為她都工作到很晚。

it + be + hard + for + someone + to-infinitive

同義詞
  • difficult

    slightly more formal; interchangeable in most contexts

  • tough

    informal; suggests requiring endurance as well as skill

  • challenging

    more positive in tone; suggests something is hard but rewarding

反義詞
  • easy

    not requiring much effort or thought

  • simple

    straightforward, with few parts or steps

文法句型

it + be + hard + to-infinitive

it + be + hard + for + object + to-infinitive

hard + noun

用法筆記

This is the most common sense of 'hard' for A1 learners. It often appears in the pattern 'it + be + hard + to-infinitive' (e.g. 'It is hard to say'). Do not confuse with 'hardly', which means 'almost not'.

常見錯誤

❌I learned English hardly.
✅Learning English is hard.
💡'hardly' means 'almost not', not 'with difficulty'.

3. Someone who is hard is not easy to satisfy and only likes certain specific thing

3.形容詞
釋義

挑剔的

不容易滿足，只喜歡特定事物

Someone who is hard is not easy to satisfy and only likes certain specific things rather than most things.

例句

The restaurant critic was hard to please and rarely gave any dishes top marks.

那位美食評論家很難取悅，很少給任何菜餚高分。

hard to please: fixed expression

Beatrix's boss is very hard — she rejects every idea that the team suggests.

Beatrix 的老闆非常挑剔——團隊提出的每個點子她都否決。

同義詞
  • picky

    informal; focuses on small details being wrong

  • demanding

    suggests the person expects very high standards

  • fussy

    informal, often about food or appearance

反義詞
  • easy-going

    relaxed and not easily bothered by imperfections

文法句型

hard + to-infinitive (hard to please, hard to satisfy)

用法筆記

Unlike sense 2 (DIFFICULT), this sense specifically describes a person who is hard to satisfy — not a task or situation. Commonly used in the expression 'hard to please'. Distinguish from sense 5 (SEVERE), which describes harsh treatment rather than picky standards.

4. A task or activity that is hard needs a lot of energy from your body or mind to

4.形容詞B1
釋義

費力的

需要大量體力或精神投入的

A task or activity that is hard needs a lot of energy from your body or mind to finish.

例句

Running a marathon is hard work that takes months of training to prepare for.

跑馬拉松是件費力的工作，需要好幾個月的訓練來準備。

collocation: hard work

Eliska put in a hard morning of gardening and needed a long rest afterwards.

Eliska 辛苦地整理了一上午的花園，之後需要好好休息。

同義詞
  • strenuous

    more formal; emphasises physical effort that exhausts

  • arduous

    formal; suggests long-lasting, tiring effort

  • demanding

    can refer to both physical and mental requirements

反義詞
  • easy

    not requiring much energy

  • light

    describes work that is not physically tiring

文法句型

hard + noun (hard work, hard day, hard labour)

用法筆記

Often used before nouns like 'work', 'day', 'labour', 'effort'. The focus is on the amount of energy needed, not on difficulty of understanding (sense 2). Frequently collocates with 'hard work' as a fixed pair.

5. Not kind or gentle; showing a lack of warmth, sympathy, or understanding toward

5.形容詞B2
釋義

嚴厲的

不友善、不溫柔，缺乏同情心

Not kind or gentle; showing a lack of warmth, sympathy, or understanding toward someone.

例句

The teacher gave Zola a hard look when she was whispering during the exam.

Zola 考試時偷講話，老師嚴厲地看了她一眼。

Heather's parents were very hard on her when she brought home low grades.

Heather 的爸媽在她成績不好的時候對她非常嚴格。

hard on someone: fixed prepositional phrase

同義詞
  • harsh

    stronger than 'hard'; suggests cruelty or unpleasantness

  • stern

    describes a person's serious, strict manner without cruelty

  • strict

    focuses on enforcing rules, not necessarily unkind

反義詞
  • gentle

    kind and careful not to upset others

  • kind

    showing warmth and care towards others

文法句型

hard + on + someone

用法筆記

Commonly appears as 'hard on someone' (e.g. 'Don't be so hard on the children'). Unlike sense 6 (which focuses on criticism or unfairness), sense 5 emphasises a general lack of gentleness in behaviour, expression, or circumstances. The subject can be a person, a situation, or 'life' itself.

6. Describing a situation where someone is treated with strong criticism, very stri

6.形容詞B2
釋義

苛刻的

嚴厲批評或給予不公平對待

Describing a situation where someone is treated with strong criticism, very strict standards, or unfair demands.

例句

The newspaper was hard on the new mayor, attacking every decision she made.

那份報紙對新任市長的態度是苛刻的，攻擊她的每一個決定。

Don't be too hard on yourself — nobody can get everything right the first time.

別對自己太苛刻——沒有人第一次就能把每件事做對。

too hard on yourself: common self-compassion expression

同義詞
  • critical

    focuses on pointing out faults and flaws

  • unfair

    emphasises that the treatment is not justified

  • strict

    enforcing rules firmly, though not necessarily unfairly

反義詞
  • lenient

    not strict or punishing; allowing mistakes

  • fair

    reasonable and just in treatment

文法句型

hard + on + someone

too hard + on + someone

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 5 (SEVERE): sense 6 focuses on active criticism or unfair treatment, while sense 5 describes a general lack of gentleness. Sense 6 often appears where someone is actively judged or blamed, especially in the pattern 'too hard on someone'.

7. describes drinks, such as liquor or cider, that have a strong effect because the

7.形容詞
釋義

烈性的

酒精含量高的

describes drinks, such as liquor or cider, that have a strong effect because they contain a lot of alcohol

例句

Tunde only drinks hard liquor like whiskey on special occasions.

Tunde 只在特別場合喝威士忌這類烈酒。

hard + liquor / cider / drinks collocation

The bar menu lists hard cider, wine, and soft drinks separately.

餐廳的酒單將烈性蘋果酒、葡萄酒和軟性飲料分開列出。

同義詞
  • strong

    more general — covers any high alcohol content, including wine and beer

  • alcoholic

    broader — simply means containing alcohol, not necessarily at a high level

反義詞
  • soft

    used in the pair hard vs soft drinks, where soft means non-alcoholic or low-alcohol

  • mild

    describes drinks with low alcohol content or gentle flavour

用法筆記

Typically used before nouns that name alcoholic beverages, such as liquor, cider, or drink.

常見錯誤

❌The wine is too hard for me.
✅The wine is too strong for me.
💡hard describes drinks distilled or fermented to high alcohol levels; table wine is usually called strong, not hard.

8. describes water that contains minerals like calcium, which stop soap from mixing

8.形容詞
釋義

硬水的

含礦物質而難起泡的

describes water that contains minerals like calcium, which stop soap from mixing or creating bubbles properly

例句

The tap water here is so hard that soap barely creates any bubbles.

這裡的自來水水質非常硬，肥皂幾乎無法起泡。

so + hard + that clause — cause and effect

Gabriela installed a water softener to deal with the hard water.

Gabriela 安裝了軟水器來處理水質過硬的問題。

water softener — common solution for hard water

反義詞
  • soft

    soft water has low mineral content and lathers easily with soap

用法筆記

Most commonly appears in the fixed phrase hard water. The opposite is soft water.

常見錯誤

❌The water feels hard to touch.
✅The water in this area is hard.
💡hard water cannot be detected by touch; it is a chemical property related to mineral content.

9. clearly supported by facts that anyone can examine and confirm as true

9.形容詞
釋義

確鑿的

有事實可證明的

clearly supported by facts that anyone can examine and confirm as true

例句

The police need hard evidence before they can arrest anyone.

警方在逮捕任何人之前需要確鑿的證據。

hard evidence — fixed legal collocation

There is no hard proof that the package ever arrived at the office.

沒有確切證據顯示包裹曾送達辦公室。

同義詞
  • concrete

    more formal; emphasises that something is specific and real rather than abstract

  • solid

    suggests strong and reliable rather than necessarily provable in a strict sense

  • factual

    focuses on being based on facts rather than opinions

反義詞

用法筆記

Always used before a noun (evidence, proof, facts, data). Does not appear after a linking verb — compare This evidence is strong, not This evidence is hard.

常見錯誤

❌The information is hard.
✅We have hard information on the case.
💡in this sense, hard must come before a noun such as information, evidence, or facts.

10. describes a period of very cold or severe weather conditions that make life outd

10.形容詞
釋義

惡劣的

天氣嚴酷難熬的

describes a period of very cold or severe weather conditions that make life outdoors difficult

例句

The region experienced a hard winter with snow lasting until April.

該地區經歷了一個嚴冬，積雪一直持續到四月。

hard winter — most common fixed phrase for this sense

A hard frost damaged the young plants in Meera's garden.

一場嚴重的霜害損壞了 Meera 花園裡的幼苗。

同義詞
  • severe

    more formal and slightly broader; can describe storms, wind, and other weather events

  • harsh

    emphasises unpleasantness and the difficulty of living through the conditions

  • bitter

    specifically describes extreme cold, often with wind

反義詞
  • mild

    describes gentle, comfortable weather without extremes of cold or heat

用法筆記

Typically appears in fixed phrases such as hard winter, hard frost, or hard weather. Describes the season or conditions themselves, not how someone experiences them.

常見錯誤

❌I feel very hard in this cold weather.
✅We had a very hard winter last year.
💡hard describes the weather season itself, not a person's feeling about it.

hard — 副詞