Collocations for "hard"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "hard" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
hard
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.adj
- a hard [rock, substance, metal, surface]
- a hard [drive, disk, copy]
- hard [muscles, hands, skin]
- a hard [man, personality, boss]
- a hard [exam, challenge, question, task, test, match]
- had a hard [day, month, year, winter]
- are [experiencing, going through] hard times
- this is [really, extremely] hard work!
- hard [labor, jobs, tasks]
- [he, the company, the stock] took a hard [blow, fall]
- hard [cash, currency]
- [take, get addicted to, overdose on] hard drugs
- hard rock [bands, albums, music]
- no hard feelings!
- UK: hard luck!
- UK, slang: hard cheese!
- drives a hard bargain
- take a hard line on [drugs, alcohol, protests]
- [it is time, we need] to take a cold hard look at
- [stuck, caught] between a rock and a hard place
- was [really, very, quite] hard for me
- slang: is [serving, doing] hard time [in, for]
- hard to [believe, find, get, finish, get]
- it's hard to say [when, where, why, how]
- is a hard habit to [break, kick]
- is a hard [lesson, thing] to [learn, understand, grasp]
- [he, my husband, their mother] is hard to please
- are too hard on him
- (as) hard as [steel, nails]
- dated: is hard of hearing
- sexually explicit: makes me hard
- sexually explicit: [he, his dick] was hard
- bolted hard to the [surface, unit, machine]
- the [news, discovery] hit her hard
- hit him hard with a [bat, ball]
- took [it, the news] (really) hard
- is [working, studying] hard
- [look, think] hard about [the issue, what to do]
- come down hard on them (for)
- sexually explicit: he [got, had] a hard
- sexually explicit: he [got] a hard-on
- sexually explicit: he [got, had] a hard
- a hard [rock, substance, metal, surface]
- sexually explicit: he [got] a hard-on
- a hard [drive, disk, copy]
- hard [muscles, hands, skin]
- a hard [man, personality, boss]
- a hard [exam, challenge, question, task, test, match]
- had a hard [day, month, year, winter]
- are [experiencing, going through] hard times
- this is [really, extremely] hard work!
- hard [labor, jobs, tasks]
- [he, the company, the stock] took a hard [blow, fall]
- hard [cash, currency]
- [take, get addicted to, overdose on] hard drugs
- hard rock [bands, albums, music]
- no hard feelings!
- UK: hard luck!
- UK, slang: hard cheese!
- drives a hard bargain
- take a hard line on [drugs, alcohol, protests]
- [it is time, we need] to take a cold hard look at
- [stuck, caught] between a rock and a hard place
- was [really, very, quite] hard for me
- slang: is [serving, doing] hard time [in, for]
- hard to [believe, find, get, finish, get]
- it's hard to say [when, where, why, how]
- is a hard habit to [break, kick]
- is a hard [lesson, thing] to [learn, understand, grasp]
- [he, my husband, their mother] is hard to please
- are too hard on him
- (as) hard as [steel, nails]
- dated: is hard of hearing
- sexually explicit: makes me hard
- sexually explicit: [he, his dick] was hard
- hard-pressed for [cash, money, time a win, some help]
- would be hard-pressed to [find, say, tell]
- hard up for [money, cash, clues]
- I'm a bit hard up [at the moment, right now]
- bolted hard to the [surface, unit, machine]
- the [news, discovery] hit her hard
- hit him hard with a [bat, ball]
- took [it, the news] (really) hard
- is [working, studying] hard
- [look, think] hard about [the issue, what to do]
- come down hard on them (for)
'hard' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Dutch
- Earth
- accomplishment
- achieve
- act
- admit
- advantage
- alloy
- amazing
- anything
- appreciate
- argue
- armchair
- attain
- attribute
- avocado
- back
- bang
- basis
- bass
- battle
- be
- beat
- believe
- between
- bit
- blend
- brake
- breathe
- bristle
- cab
- can
- candy
- capacity
- case
- cash
- cement
- cheese
- chew
- chic
- choice
- cleaner
- clear
- client
- clog
- cock
- cold
- collapse
- compose
- concentrate