1
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal the test questions were rated for hardness, a rating of five indicating the most difficult
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism) the aunt's hardness gradually crumbled under the influence of the little orphan's endearing ways
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hardness One involved the radiation hardness of silicon sensors at cryogenic temperatures, referred to in physics as the Lazarus effect. —
Liz Wegerer, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2026 Diamond grit is used by industrial manufacturers — including in the semiconductor, automotive and energy sectors — for its hardness properties. —Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026 As his younger, more romantic self, that hardness never quite goes away. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026 Known for its hardness and high melting point, petalite is already valued in heat- and scratch-resistant glass and ceramics. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardness
Liz Wegerer, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2026 Diamond grit is used by industrial manufacturers — including in the semiconductor, automotive and energy sectors — for its hardness properties. —Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026 As his younger, more romantic self, that hardness never quite goes away. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026 Known for its hardness and high melting point, petalite is already valued in heat- and scratch-resistant glass and ceramics. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardness
Noun
-
The causes of displacement are largely attributed to political conflict, corruption, violence and economic hardship, including widespread poverty.— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
-
In those situations, borrowers who can demonstrate hardship and propose a realistic settlement may be able to negotiate more favorable terms than expected.— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bruce Lehr, Lunger's attorney, disputed the severity of the charges.— Anna McAllister, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
-
Why High-Speed Rural Corridors Increase California Crash Severity Beyond urban centers, crash severity often increases in rural corridors where higher speeds are more common.— Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This project encountered several delays, and POSCO dropped it a few years ago due to difficulties in acquiring land, according to a Reuters report.— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
-
Using Opta’s power rankings to estimate the relative difficulty of each side’s remaining games, Carlos Corberan’s Valencia have the most to fear.— Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/hardness. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
