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
In the early 20th century, products like celluloid could imitate ivory’s hardness.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
Driven by his heart and not by the social conditioning of his upbringing, Harpo seems determined to break the cycle of men ruled by their hardness.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2023
Water can be harder in some places around the country, and the level of hardness can make one city better for a good hair day than another.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
The spears and other tools were carved from spruce, larch, and pine, species that grew many kilometers away from the lake and combined hardness with elasticity.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
The Vince Staples Show is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, but there’s a hardness to it — and the series’ protagonist — that feels both unexpected and authentic.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 15 Feb. 2024
During that time, most of the minerals are separated out, so the ice has extremely low levels of hardness and few, if any, impurities.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2024
In the realm of plastics processing, a firm can achieve a competitive edge through its in-depth expertise in material properties, such as durability and hardness.
—Maximilian Kramer, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Calcium is a mineral that supports your bone and teeth structure and hardness.
—Health Editorial Team, Health, 9 Feb. 2024
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
Driven by his heart and not by the social conditioning of his upbringing, Harpo seems determined to break the cycle of men ruled by their hardness.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2023
Water can be harder in some places around the country, and the level of hardness can make one city better for a good hair day than another.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
The spears and other tools were carved from spruce, larch, and pine, species that grew many kilometers away from the lake and combined hardness with elasticity.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
The Vince Staples Show is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, but there’s a hardness to it — and the series’ protagonist — that feels both unexpected and authentic.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 15 Feb. 2024
During that time, most of the minerals are separated out, so the ice has extremely low levels of hardness and few, if any, impurities.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2024
In the realm of plastics processing, a firm can achieve a competitive edge through its in-depth expertise in material properties, such as durability and hardness.
—Maximilian Kramer, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Calcium is a mineral that supports your bone and teeth structure and hardness.
—Health Editorial Team, Health, 9 Feb. 2024
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 20 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share