hardy

[hahr-dee]

adjective, har·di·er, har·di·est.

capable of enduring fatigue, hardship, exposure, etc.; sturdy; strong: hardy explorers of northern Canada.

(of plants) able to withstand the cold of winter in the open air.

requiring great physical courage, vigor, or endurance: the hardiest sports.

bold or daring; courageous: hardy soldiers.

unduly bold; presumptuous; foolhardy.

Origin of hardy

1175–1225; Middle English hardi < Old French, past participle of *hardir to harden, make brave < Germanic; compare Gothic -hardjan, Old High German hartjan to harden

Can be confusedhardy hearty

Synonyms for hardy

1. vigorous, robust, hale, stout, sound. 4. intrepid, resolute, brave.

Antonyms for hardy

1. weak. 4. timid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for hardier

sound, firm, fit, solid, well, hale, stout, stalwart, able, able-bodied, brawny, burly, capable, enduring, fresh, hardened, healthy, hearty, hefty, indefatigable

Examples from the Web for hardier

Historical Examples of hardier

All which was for the sake of the commonwealth, that his body might be the hardier for the war.
The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch
Plutarch
In this stage, however, man was a hardier creature than he afterwards became.
Progress and History
Various
“I certainly think that some of us are hardier for transplanting,” he replied.
The Gold Trail
Harold Bindloss
It is somewhat earlier, and also hardier, than the Yellow Malta.
The Field and Garden Vegetables of America
Fearing Burr
It is later and hardier than the Yellow Savoys, before described.
The Field and Garden Vegetables of America
Fearing Burr

British Dictionary definitions for hardier

hardy

adjective -dier or -diest

having or demanding a tough constitution; robust

bold; courageous

foolhardy; rash

(of plants) able to live out of doors throughout the winter

Word Origin for hardy

C13: from Old French hardi bold, past participle of hardir to become bold, of Germanic origin; compare Old English hierdan to harden 1, Old Norse hertha, Old High German herten

hardy

noun plural -dies

any blacksmith's tool made with a square shank so that it can be lodged in a square hole in an anvil

Word Origin for hardy

C19: probably from hard

Hardy

noun

Oliver. See Laurel and Hardy

Thomas. 1840–1928, British novelist and poet. Most of his novels are set in his native Dorset (part of his fictional Wessex) and include Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Return of the Native (1878), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895), after which his work consisted chiefly of verse

Sir Thomas Masterman. 1769–1839, British naval officer, flag captain under Nelson (1799–1805): 1st Sea Lord (1830)

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

Word Origin and History for hardier

hardy

adj.

c.1200, "bold, daring, fearless," from Old French hardi, from past participle of hardir "to harden, be or make bold," from Frankish *hardjan, from Proto-Germanic *hardjan "to make hard" (cf. Old Frisian herda, Old High German herten, Old Norse herða, Gothic gahardjan "make hard;" see hard). Sense influenced by English hard. Related: Hardily; hardiness. Hardhede "physical hardiness" is attested from early 15c.