75 Synonyms for Hard

75 Synonyms for Hard 75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard† 75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard† By Mark Nichol It’s easy to write about how hard something is, because so many synonyms exist for that vague word and its more formal cousin difficult. Many of these terms are somewhat interchangeable (that’s why they call them synonyms), but even then, the senses are often slightly distinct; do a little more research on usage when you find a promising variation for that abstract (or is it abstruse?) phrasing you’re attempting to finesse. 1. Abstract: disassociation from a practical reference that would aid in comprehension 2. Abstruse: difficult because of technical considerations 3. Arduous: great physical exertion 4. Augean: unpleasantly, overwhelmingly hard (a classical reference to the Augean stables, cleaned by Hercules as one of his legendary twelve labors) 5. Backbreaking: tiring and often dispiriting physical effort 6. Bruising: physically wearing and damaging 7. Brutal: unpleasantly difficult 8. Burdensome: physically or emotionally difficult 9. Challenging: requiring special effort; may have a positive or a negative sense depending on context 10. Complex: difficult because of multiple interrelated factors 11. Complicated: see complex 12. Convoluted: see complex; with an additional connotation of twisting or intertwining 13. Cruel: marked by uncompromising difficulty that disregards the worker’s welfare 14. Daunting: inspiring a feeling of great difficulty 15. Demanding: suggestive of a great commitment of time and effort 16. Distressing: causing emotional anguish 17. Effortful: requiring effort 18. Elusive: difficult to comprehend, or evasive 19. Exacting: requiring meticulous attention to detail, or requiring relentless effort 20. Exhausting: difficult in terms of physical or mental exertion 21. Formidable: discouraging because of expected difficulty; also has a positive connotation of impressiveness 22. Frustrating: producing feelings of hopelessness or defeat 23. Grievous: causing pain or suffering 24. Grim: evidencing unyielding difficulty or severity; can also mean â€Å"grim,† â€Å"gloomy,† or â€Å"sinister† 25. Grueling (also spelled gruelling): requiring unrelenting or extreme effort 26. Hairy: difficult (informal) 27. Harsh: excessively difficult 28. Heavy: involving great effort 29. Herculean: suggestive of great difficulty 30. Inhuman: so difficult as to seem beyond human capability 31. Insoluble: seemingly too difficult to be solved or resolved 32. Intimidating: so difficult that the task or prospect inspires fear or hopelessness 33. Intricate: see complex 34. Involved: see convoluted 35. Knotty: see convoluted 36. Labored: requiring wearying physical or mental exertion 37. Laborious: see labored 38. Merciless: marked by effort that seems to be required with no regard for the welfare of the worker 39. Moiling: requiring much effort 40. Murderous: suggestive of risk of physical or mental harm (informal) 41. Onerous: see burdensome 42. Opaque: difficult because of a lack of clarity or communication 43. Oppressive: harshly difficult 44. Overwhelming: too hard to do or bear without suffering 45. Painful: causing physical or mental discomfort or harm 46. Pick-and-shovel: suggestive of great manual effort 47-48. Problematic/problematical: difficulty in solving a problem 49. Punishing: difficulty heedless of consequences of physical or mental strain 50. Recondite: difficult to comprehend because of obscurity or the need to possess more knowledge 51. Rigid: inflexibly difficult 52. Rigorous: difficulty caused by conditions of inflexibility or requirements of great precision 53. Rugged: suggestive of conditions requiring strength and stamina 54. Serious: requiring a great deal of effort 55. Severe: difficult because of the nature of requirements or constraints or because of the need to expend great effort 56. Spiny: replete with difficulties 57. Sisyphean: suggestive of relentless, repetitive toil (a classical reference to Sisyphus, tormented in Hades by having to repeatedly roll a boulder up a hill, then retrieve it when it rolls down again) 58. Stiff: see rigid 59. Strenuous: see arduous 60. Stressful: so difficult as to cause tension or nervousness 61. Strict: difficult especially because of standards imposed 62. Stringent: see strict 63. Stubborn: persistently difficult 64. Sweaty: suggestive of great physical exertion, causing perspiration 65. Tall: see formidable (informal) 66. Taxing: see burdensome 67. Testing: calling for great effort, as if to test one’s abilities 68. Thorny: see spiny 69. Ticklish: difficult because of the problem’s sensitive nature 70. Tight: hard because of a lack of flexibility 71. Toilsome: see labored 72. Tough: physically or mentally demanding (informal) 73. Tricky: see ticklish 74. Trying: requiring great endurance 75. Uphill: see labored Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? 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