Meaning & use
hardy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Strong and able to cope with tough conditions, such as cold, heavy work or illness.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a hardy traveler, the sheep are hardy.
Patterns
- hardy enough for something
Only the hardiest hikers reached the summit.
These hardy sheep can live on the cold hills.
She is hardy and rarely misses work because of illness.
adjectivecomparable
Of a plant, able to live outdoors through winter frosts.
Grammar: Used in gardening: a hardy perennial.
Patterns
- frost hardy
- hardy perennial
Lavender is hardy in most regions.
Choose a hardy plant if you want it to survive the winter.
We bought a hardy fern for the shaded corner.
adjectivecomparableliteraryold-fashioned
Bold and brave, sometimes recklessly so.
Grammar: A literary sense before a noun.
The hardy sailors set out despite the gale.
A hardy few stayed to defend the village.
Their hardy spirit won the crowd.
Word forms
| comparative | hardier |
|---|---|
| superlative | hardiest |
Common combinations
- hardy perennial
- Hardy perennials return every spring.
- hardy plants
- Hardy plants cope well with frost.
- hardy souls
- A few hardy souls swam in the cold sea.
- hardy breed
- This is a hardy breed of horse.
- frost hardy
- The shrub is frost hardy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tough
- Tough is more general and informal, describing someone who can take hardship or punishment.
- robust
- Robust stresses strength and good health, often for things or plans.
- resilient
- Resilient stresses bouncing back after trouble rather than facing harsh conditions.
- sturdy
- Sturdy is about solid physical build, not about enduring weather.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: hardy or hardly? hardy or hearty?
hardy vs hardly
Hardly means almost not at all and is an adverb, so it is not a form of hardy.
hardy vs hearty
Hearty means warm or substantial, as in a hearty meal, rather than tough.
Practice
We chose ___ plants for the garden because the winters here are severe.
Choose one answer.
Hardy plants survive winter outdoors. Tender plants are the opposite, and hardly is an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hardy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.