1
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
the test questions were rated for hardness, a rating of five indicating the most difficult
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
the aunt's hardness gradually crumbled under the influence of the little orphan's endearing ways
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardness
Test strips were again used to evaluate the hardness of the water once the testing period concluded.
—
Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Nov. 2024
Quantum annealing: This term is borrowed from annealing, a process that uses heat to alter the physical or chemical properties of a metal, glass, or plastic film to increase ductility and reduce hardness.
—Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
Consider Your Water's Hardness Level Water hardness also plays a role in when your sink should be cleaned.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2025
Water hardness is determined by the amount of minerals present in your water.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hardness
Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Nov. 2024
Quantum annealing: This term is borrowed from annealing, a process that uses heat to alter the physical or chemical properties of a metal, glass, or plastic film to increase ductility and reduce hardness.
—Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
Consider Your Water's Hardness Level Water hardness also plays a role in when your sink should be cleaned.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2025
Water hardness is determined by the amount of minerals present in your water.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hardness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardness
Noun
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Trump did not rule out the possibility of economic hardship, arguing that the economy and the U.S. population will have to adjust to the changes being made.—
Rebecca Schneid,
TIME,
9 Mar. 2025
-
One of the main indicators of the increasing hardship was the price of eggs, which hit an all-time high shortly after Trump's inauguration in January.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The consortium has promised to reduce that to 18 months by next year, but even that’s not nearly fast enough given the severity of the transatlantic security crisis.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Read More: How Climate Change Will Affect the Seasons The firings, which are expected to continue in the coming days, have sparked outrage among experts and lawmakers, who warn that such cuts could severely hamper NOAA's ability to respond to the increasing severity of weather events.—
Nik Popli,
TIME,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Special Education: Most Vulnerable Students Affected Special education represents the most severe shortage area, with 98% of school districts reporting difficulty filling these positions.—
Scott White,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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What's better, most of the best drip coffee machines on this list have a lower difficulty rating than your toaster oven.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardness. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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