hard rock

¹ American  

noun

1. the original form of rock-'n'-roll, basically dependent on a consistently loud and strong beat.

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hard-rock ² American  

[hahrd-rok] / ˈhɑrdˌrɒk /

adjective

1. (loosely) of or relating to igneous or metamorphic rocks, as in mining hard-rock mining and geology hard-rock geology.

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hard rock British  

noun

1. music a rhythmically simple and usually highly amplified style of rock and roll

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Other Word Forms

• hard rocker noun

Etymology

Origin of hard rock¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Origin of hard-rock²

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Most of the fossil remains encased in hard rock, and manually removing it could take years.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

"The estimated yield of the event was a 10 tonne nuclear explosion, or five tonnes conventional equivalent, which assumes the explosion was fully coupled in hard rock below the water table," he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

Mr. Weir and the Dead largely avoided hard rock and retained their identity and popularity by blending blues, folk, roots and country with rock to create a smooth but erudite sound.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

The English guitarist co-wrote Whitesnake’s ‘Is This Love,’ one of the defining power ballads of late-’80s hard rock.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025

‘We’ve done it! We’ve escaped from the Emyn Muil! And now what next, I wonder? Maybe we shall soon be sighing for good hard rock under foot again.’

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien