hardness

[ hahrd-nis ]

/ ˈhɑrd nɪs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hardness ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state or quality of being hard: the hardness of ice.

a relative degree or extent of this quality: wood of a desirable hardness.

that quality in water that is imparted by the presence of dissolved salts, especially calcium sulfate or bicarbonate.

unfeelingness or jadedness; callousness.

harshness or austerity, as of a difficult existence.

South Midland U.S. ill will; bad feelings: There's a lot of hardness between those two boys.

Mineralogy. the comparative ability of a substance to scratch or be scratched by another.Compare Mohs scale.

Metallurgy. the measured resistance of a metal to indention, abrasion, deformation, or machining.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of hardness

before 900; Middle English hardnes, Old English heardnes. See hard, -ness

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

Examples from the Web for hardness

His district, just south of Washington DC was among the hardness hit by the trembler.
FEMA’s Budget Disaster|Daniel Stone, Laura Colarusso|August 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
When she felt his hardness,” however, “the feelings evaporated.
Natalie Portman's Dad's Bizarre Novel|Marlow Stern|April 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I portray Mecca as it really was, which means in all its hardness and brutality.
7 Books for the Spiritually Starved|Spencer Bailey|September 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
No tears rose; I was struck into hardness equal to his own, and with something added.
More Pages from a Journal|Mark Rutherford

It was as if she recognized in that member of sledge-hammer size and hardness a sure defense from all harm.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. XXXI, September 1908, No. 5|Various
Twas as if the flood of her joy had swept away all hardness and disdain.
A Lady of Quality|Frances Hodgson Burnett
But he also added that, while he liked their hardness, he disliked their moderation.
A History of the United States|Cecil Chesterton
If a stone be scratched by a steel knife its hardness is below 6.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hardness

hardness

/ (ˈhɑːdnɪs) /

noun

the quality or condition of being hard

one of several measures of resistance to indentation, deformation, or abrasionSee Mohs scale, Brinell hardness number

the quality of water that causes it to impair the lathering of soap: caused by the presence of certain calcium salts. Temporary hardness can be removed by boiling whereas permanent hardness cannot

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 hardness

hardness

Old English heardnysse; see hard + -ness. Meaning "difficulty of action or accomplishment" is late 14c.

Science definitions for hardness

hardness

[ härd′nĭs ]

A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched. Hardness is measured on the Mohs scale.