hard hat

noun

for sense 1 usually
ˈhärd-ˈhat How to pronounce hard hat (audio)
for senses 1b and 2
ˈhärd-ˌhat How to pronounce hard hat (audio)
Synonyms of hard hatnext
1
a
: a protective hat made of rigid material (such as metal or fiberglass) and worn especially by construction workers
b
: a construction worker
2
: a conservative who is intolerant of opposing views

Examples of hard hat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For many people, the next tech job may involve a hard hat instead of a laptop. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026 After the cottage has sat idle for nearly six years, the society will open the cottage May 17 and 31 for hard hat tours, and could also open to the public with exhibits later this year. — Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026 As a celebration of the tough work put in by each night’s Defensive Player of the Game, the team would often give the winner hard hats and Timberlands in the locker room. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 June 2026 So Trump, ever the pitchman, surprised White House reporters by bringing them to a platform overlooking the construction site on a hot and breezy morning as workers in hard hats and fluorescent yellow vests milled about below. — Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard hat

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard hat was in the 15th century

Rhymes for hard hat

See All Rhymes for hard hat

Browse Nearby Words

hardhanded
hard hat
hardhead
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20hat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

hard hat

noun
1
: a protective helmet worn especially by construction workers
2
: a construction worker

More from Merriam-Webster on hard hat

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hard hat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All