noun
Etymology
Origin of hardiness
A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at hardy 1, -ness
Explanation
Hardiness is a quality of being tough, rugged, or vigorous. Your hardiness means you're able to work all day on your family's farm, even when it's extremely hot out. The noun hardiness comes from hardy, which was originally defined as "bold and daring in battle," from a root that means "hard." An important quality in a soldier or fighter is hardiness, the ability to keep going despite difficulties and challenges. When we talk about the hardiness of plants, we mean their resistance to disease or drought.
Vocabulary lists containing hardiness
Dirty Words: The Language of Gardening
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The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
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The Suffix -ness, Part 4
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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.
Even the alpine-inspired plantings cladding the museum’s roof — colorful wildflowers, long sweeping grasses and coarse scrubs, all chosen for their hardiness, lightness and shallow roots — follow this rhythm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025
They’re prized in cities throughout the temperate zone for their hardiness and generic good looks—“the city tree par excellence,” according to Henry Lawrence’s book City Trees.
From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2024
In late 2023, the Department of Agriculture seemed to validate their experiences when it released its updated plant hardiness zone map — moving more than half of the U.S. into warmer climate zones.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2024
Cold hardiness is a critical part of a plant’s success, but far from the only one.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
As if to test my hardiness, Detective Webster gave my hand a painful squeeze.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
