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• hard hat
  hard hat

  noun

  a protective helmet of metal or plastic, especially as worn by construction or factory workers.
• hard-hat
  hard-hat

  noun

  a construction worker, especially a member of a construction workers' union.

hard hat

¹ American  

noun

• hard hats
  plural

1. a protective helmet of metal or plastic, especially as worn by construction or factory workers.

2. a uniformed soldier of a regular army, as opposed to a guerrilla.

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hard-hat ² American  

[hahrd-hat] / ˈhɑrdˌhæt /

Or hardhat

noun

Informal.

1. a construction worker, especially a member of a construction workers' union.

2. a working-class conservative.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or characteristic of hard-hats.

   enlisting hard-hat support for his policies.

hard hat British  

noun

1. a hat made of a hard material for protection, worn esp by construction workers, equestrians, etc

2. informal a construction worker

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adjective

1. informal characteristic of the presumed conservative attitudes and prejudices typified by construction workers

hard hat Idioms  

1. A working-class ultraconservative. For example, They were counting on a large number of votes from the hard hats. This term alludes to the rigid protective headgear worn by construction workers, who were noted for their conservatism during the tumultuous 1960s. [c. 1960]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hard hats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hard hat¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of hard-hat²

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hard hat hard-hat

“The sort of traditional view of ‘working class’ was a White man in a hard hat, a construction worker, maybe someone who was in manufacturing,” Wilson said.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

In a hard hat and hi-viz vest, Asdourian appears climbing ladders to tape- and marker-over all mentions of the brand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

Wahl said a bullet may have deflected off the landscaper's hard hat, although this had yet to be confirmed.

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

There he is in a hard hat in the bowels of the Federal Reserve building, questioning Jerome Powell over the cost of the renovation.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2025

It was almost a relief when the light on his hard hat finally gave out.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

Many dividend paying companies are in old-line, hard-hat industries such as industrials and materials.

From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026

While I could only envision the impending displays from a hard-hat tour and renderings, these spaces seem a welcome addition to the full story of Mount Vernon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

After taking a hard-hat tour of it last month, I excitedly called Frank and predicted it would be a game changer for downtown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025

By contrast, the gala was the first time Geffen saw the redone hall bearing his name; he never joined the hard-hat construction tours that Lincoln Center gave to dignitaries over these past two years.

From New York Times ● Oct. 30, 2022

He tightened the hard-hat straps, striding brusquely to the door.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• helmet