hardy

¹

[hahr-dee]

adjective

hardier, hardiest 

1. capable of enduring fatigue, hardship, exposure, etc.; sturdy; strong.

   hardy explorers of northern Canada.

   Synonyms: sound, stout, hale, robust, vigorous
   Antonyms: weak

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

3. requiring great physical courage, vigor, or endurance.

   the hardiest sports.

4. bold or daring; courageous.

   hardy soldiers.

   Synonyms: brave, resolute, intrepid
   Antonyms: timid

5. unduly bold; presumptuous; foolhardy.

hardy

²

[hahr-dee]

noun

plural

hardies 

1. a chisel or fuller with a square shank for insertion into a square hole hardy hole in a blacksmith's anvil.

Hardy

³

[hahr-dee]

noun

1. Godfrey Harold, 1877–1947, English mathematician.

2. Oliver, 1892–1957, U.S. motion-picture comedian.

3. Thomas, 1840–1928, English novelist and poet.

hardy

¹

/ ˈhɑːdɪ /

adjective

1. having or demanding a tough constitution; robust

2. bold; courageous

3. foolhardy; rash

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

Hardy

²

/ ˈhɑːdɪ /

noun

1. Oliver. See Laurel and Hardy

2. 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

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

hardy

³

/ ˈhɑːdɪ /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hardy¹

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

Origin of hardy²

First recorded in 1865–70; hard + -y ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of hardy¹

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

Origin of hardy²

C19: probably from _hard

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, scientists are looking for hardier cardamom varieties.

Read more on BBC

No one today any longer wishes to hear jokes about nagging mothers-in-law, spendthrift wives or old jalopies, and the men and women who once told them to hardy plaudits are now forgotten.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They look for hardy alder trees, which indicate an area that had been dug up for mining years ago.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Their plans include bringing in large herbivores including ponies, hardy cattle and eventually even bison to graze the land naturally, and there are hopes pine martens, beavers and golden eagles could recolonise the landscape.

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They’re hardy horses, and can be enlisted as pack animals high up in the mountains.

Read more on Los Angeles Times