definitions

hard-core

or hard·core

[ hahrd-kawr, -kohr ]
/ ˈhɑrdˈkɔr, -ˈkoʊr /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hard-core ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated: a hard-core segregationist.
relating to or containing sexually arousing depictions that are very graphic or explicit: hard-core pornography.Compare soft-core.
being so without apparent change or remedy; chronic: hard-core inflation; hard-core unemployment.
very intense or extreme: hard-core workouts at the gym.
Usually hard·core. noting or relating to the music genre hardcore, or the subculture, clothing style, etc., associated with it: hardcore t-shirts and jeans.
noting or relating to video games that can only be mastered with advanced skill and are played in longer sessions, or noting a player of such games: hard-core gaming.Compare casual(def 8).

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RELATED WORDS

die-hard, staunch, devoted, determined, dyed-in-the-wool, explicit, extreme, faithful, intransigent, obstinate, resolute, rigid, steadfast, stubborn, uncompromising, unyielding

Nearby words

hard-bitten, hard-boil, hard-boiled, hard-case, hard-coated, hard-core, hard-edge, hard-edged, hard-faced, hard-favored, hard-featured

Origin of hard-core

First recorded in 1950–55

Definition for hard-core (2 of 2)

hard core

noun

the permanent, dedicated, and completely faithful nucleus of a group or movement, as of a political party.
an unyielding or intransigent element in a social or organizational structure, as that part of a group consisting of longtime adherents or those resistant to change.
those whose condition seems to be without hope of remedy or change.
Usually hard·core. a form of punk rock or other nonmainstream popular music played in an intense, harsh, and fast style with more emphasis on rhythm than on melody.

Origin of hard core

First recorded in 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hard-core

British Dictionary definitions for hard-core

hard core

noun

the members of a group or movement who form an intransigent nucleus resisting change
material, such as broken bricks, stones, etc, used to form a foundation for a road, paving, building, etc

adjective hard-core

(of pornography) describing or depicting sexual acts in explicit detail
extremely committed or fanaticala hard-core Communist
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