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Synonyms

hardness

American  
[hahrd-nis] / ˈhɑrd nɪs /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being hard.

    the hardness of ice.

  2. a relative degree or extent of this quality.

    wood of a desirable hardness.

  3. that quality in water that is imparted by the presence of dissolved salts, especially calcium sulfate or bicarbonate.

  4. unfeelingness or jadedness; callousness.

  5. harshness or austerity, as of a difficult existence.

  6. South Midland U.S. ill will; bad feelings.

    There's a lot of hardness between those two boys.

  7. Mineralogy. the comparative ability of a substance to scratch or be scratched by another.

  8. Metallurgy. the measured resistance of a metal to indention, abrasion, deformation, or machining.

hardness British  
/ ˈhɑːdnɪs /

noun

  1. the quality or condition of being hard

  2. one of several measures of resistance to indentation, deformation, or abrasion See Mohs scale Brinell hardness number

  3. the quality of water that causes it to impair the lathering of soap: caused by the presence of certain calcium salts. Temporary hardness can be removed by boiling whereas permanent hardness cannot

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
hardness Scientific  
/ härd′nĭs /

  1. A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched. Hardness is measured on the Mohs scale.

Etymology

Origin of hardness

First recorded before 900; Middle English hardnes, Old English heardnes; hard, -ness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A hardness flutters across Mom’s eyes, but then just as quickly it’s gone, and whatever she was going to say, she now isn’t.

From Literature

WC-Co cemented carbides are essential for applications that demand strong resistance to wear and high hardness, including cutting and construction tools.

From Science Daily

But something about the hardness behind her eyes scared me so I let her pretend, and I pretended back.

From Literature

You have to have what they wanted but with mental hardness, resilience and toughness combined with it.

From BBC

“Each and every day I have to ask God to lift the hardness in my heart, because I‘m angry,” Lewis said.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.