harder

ADJECTIVE

rocklike

Synonyms

STRONGEST

solid strong tough

STRONG

concentrated

WEAK

adamantine callous compact compacted compressed consolidated dense firm hardened impenetrable indurate indurated inflexible iron packed rigid rocky set stiff stony thick unyielding

Antonyms

STRONGEST

delicate soft vulnerable weak

WEAK

disputable doubtful easy facile flexible inexact malleable merciful mild nice pleasant pliable pliant questionable sensitive simple sympathetic uncertain untrue yielding

ADJECTIVE

difficult, exhausting

Synonyms

STRONGEST

arduous complicated heavy rough serious terrible tough troublesome

WEAK

backbreaking bothersome burdensome demanding difficile distressing effortful exacting fatiguing formidable grinding hairy herculean intricate involved irksome knotty labored laborious mean merciless murder onerous operose rigorous rugged scabrous severe slavish sticky strenuous tiring toilful toilsome unsparing uphill uphill battle wearing wearisome wearying

Antonyms

STRONGEST

easy facile happy light nice trivial unimportant

WEAK

disputable doubtful flexible inexact malleable merciful mild pleasant pliable pliant questionable sensitive simple soft sympathetic uncertain untrue yielding

ADJECTIVE

cruel, ruthless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bleak grim harsh painful tough

WEAK

acrimonious angry antagonistic austere bitter brutal callous cold cold fish cold-blooded dark disagreeable distressing dour exacting grievous hard as nails hard-boiled hostile inclement intemperate intolerable obdurate perverse pitiless rancorous resentful rigorous rugged severe stern strict stringent stubborn thick-skinned unfeeling unjust unkind unpleasant unrelenting unsparing unsympathetic vengeful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bright cheerful easy gentle kind nice pleasant sunny

WEAK

disputable doubtful facile flexible inexact malleable merciful mild pliable pliant questionable sensitive simple soft sympathetic uncertain untrue yielding

ADJECTIVE

true, indisputable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

positive sure

WEAK

absolute actual bare cold definite down-to-earth genuine plain practical pragmatic realistic undeniable unvarnished verified

Antonyms

STRONGEST

doubtful indefinite uncertain unsure

WEAK

disputable easy facile flexible inexact malleable merciful mild nice pleasant pliable pliant questionable sensitive simple soft sympathetic untrue yielding

ADVERB

with great force

Synonyms

STRONGEST

heavily seriously strongly vigorously

STRONG

severely

WEAK

actively angrily animatedly boisterously briskly brutally cruelly earnestly energetically ferociously fiercely forcibly frantically furiously intensely keenly like fury madly meanly painfully powerfully relentlessly rigorously roughly rowdily savagely sharply spiritedly sprightly stormily turbulently uproariously urgently viciously violently vivaciously wildly with all one's might

Antonyms

STRONGEST

lightly

WEAK

easily gently moderately softly tolerantly unenthusiastically yielding

ADVERB

with determination

Synonyms

STRONGEST

closely

WEAK

assiduously diligently doggedly earnestly exhaustively industriously intensely intensively intently painstakingly persistently searchingly sharply steadily strenuously thoroughly unremittingly untiringly

Antonyms

WEAK

easily gently moderately softly tolerantly unenthusiastically yielding

ADVERB

with difficulty

Synonyms

STRONGEST

badly vigorously

STRONG

severely

WEAK

agonizingly arduously awkwardly burdensomely carefully cumbersomely cumbrously distressingly exhaustingly gruelingly hardly harshly inconveniently laboriously painfully ponderously roughly strenuously tiredly toilsomely unwieldily with great effort

Antonyms

WEAK

easily gently moderately softly tolerantly unenthusiastically yielding

ADVERB

with resentment

Synonyms

WEAK

bitterly hardly keenly rancorously reluctantly slowly sorely

Antonyms

WEAK

easily gently indulgently moderately softly tolerantly unenthusiastically yielding

ADVERB

in a fixed manner

Synonyms

STRONGEST

close fast tight

STRONG

firmly

WEAK

firm solidly steadfastly tightly

Antonyms

WEAK

easily gently moderately softly tolerantly unenthusiastically unfixedly yielding

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.

It’s about to get harder to earn an A at Harvard.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Investing is hard, but many make it harder because they insist on being their worst enemy.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

“They believe what they believe. They’re not going to change. They’re not going to move. And so it makes it harder for deals to get cut.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

He says his physical condition has worsened while being in hospital, that he is weaker, more dependent on his ventilator and finding it harder to drive his wheelchair.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

“Those were harder to study for. I got sick!”

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison