hardy

adjective

har·​dy ˈhär-dē How to pronounce hardy (audio)
hardier; hardiest
Synonyms of hardy
1
: bold, brave
a hardy intrepid spirit
2
: audacious, brazen
3
a
: accustomed to dealing with fatigue or hardships : robust
The soldiers were strong and hardy.
b
: capable of withstanding adverse conditions
hardy outdoor furniture
hardy plants
hardy cattle
hardily
ˈhär-dᵊl-ē How to pronounce hardy (audio)
adverb
hardiness
ˈhär-dē-nəs How to pronounce hardy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of hardy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of hardy in a Sentence

Most of the soldiers were hardy young men. Hardy fans stuck with the team through good times and bad. Only the hardiest pilgrims made the journey.
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 novice growers, Barthel likes to emphasize that cannabis is hardy and fast-growing like a weed. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 The plant is impressively sprawling and hardy. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026 But the hardy spacecraft still has bold plans to deliver new and exciting science data. — Andrew Jones, Space.com, 28 June 2026 These hardy flowers are native to North America and bloom for weeks from mid to late summer. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hardi, from Anglo-French, from Old French *hardir to make hard, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English heard hard

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardy was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing hardy

Rhymes for hardy

See All Rhymes for hardy

Browse Nearby Words

hardworking
hardy
Hardy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardy. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

hardy

adjective
har·​dy ˈhärd-ē How to pronounce hardy (audio)
hardier; hardiest
1
: bold sense 1a, brave
2
: able to stand fatigue or hardships : robust
3
: able to survive unfavorable conditions (as of weather)
a hardy rose bush
hardily
ˈhärd-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce hardy (audio)
adverb
hardiness
ˈhärd-ē-nəs How to pronounce hardy (audio)
noun

Biographical Definition

Hardy 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Har·​dy ˈhär-dē How to pronounce Hardy (audio)
Oliver 1892–1957 originally Norvell Hardy American comic actor

Hardy

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Thomas 1840–1928 English novelist and poet
Hardyesque
ˌhär-dē-ˈesk How to pronounce Hardy (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hardy

Nglish: Translation of hardy for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

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