1
: the quality or state of being hard
2
a
: the cohesion of the particles on the surface of a mineral as determined by its capacity to scratch another or be itself scratched compare mohs' scale
b
: resistance of metal to indentation under a static load or to scratching
Examples of hardness in a Sentence
the hardness of a diamond
The wood's hardness makes it suitable for carving.
Recent Examples on the Web
The papers implied that some kind of computational hardness would be necessary for almost all cryptographic tasks.
—
Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2024
Also, researchers have found positive correlations between the hardness of drinking water and bone health.
—Sarah Blank, The Conversation, 20 May 2024
Even though a comprehensive understanding of computational hardness remains elusive, cryptographers have recently made exciting progress toward a unified theory of one-way functions.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
In the early 20th century, products like celluloid could imitate ivory’s hardness.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardness 
Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2024
Also, researchers have found positive correlations between the hardness of drinking water and bone health.
—Sarah Blank, The Conversation, 20 May 2024
Even though a comprehensive understanding of computational hardness remains elusive, cryptographers have recently made exciting progress toward a unified theory of one-way functions.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
In the early 20th century, products like celluloid could imitate ivory’s hardness.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardness
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hardness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hardness
Cite this Entry
“Hardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardness. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hardness
noun
hard·ness
ˈhärd-nəs 
1
: the quality or state of being hard
2
: the ability of a substance (as a mineral) to scratch another substance or be itself scratched
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