hard landing
Americannoun
-
Aeronautics. an uncontrolled or rough landing by an aircraft or spacecraft, usually resulting in damage.
-
Economics. an economic downturn or recession after a period of strong demand and expansion.
noun
-
a landing by a rocket or spacecraft in which the vehicle is destroyed on impact
-
a sharp fall into recession following a sustained period of economic growth
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.
But there are some key technical characteristics of the recent trading in Avis shares that make some believe a hard landing is in the works.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
“The key takeaway remains: if the economy avoids a hard landing, the AI trade—which is a secular, multiyear theme of productivity growth—will simply carry on,” said Tigay at Catalyst Hedged Equity Fund.
From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025
As a result of a hard landing, the BOE would be confronted with “an even more dramatic inflation undershoot” than in a bumpy landing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025
We may be coming in for a hard landing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025
A hundred versions of what a hard landing would feel like managed to squeeze into her head.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
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.
