hard-core

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈkȯr How to pronounce hard-core (audio)
Definition of hard-corenext
as in deep
firmly established over time the hard-core habits that generate our mountains of trash everyday will be extremely difficult to change

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hard-core On the court, the nickname goes back to the 1930s, when journalists evoked the Bible’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as a way of describing the four hard-core conservative justices who blocked progressive legislation for years. — Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 These are not social Democrats, these are hard-core, godless communists. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 The chugging and churning riffs of the Swedish hard-core band’s breakout song once used to echo the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the kitchen. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026 Last year’s Superman was divisive among the hardcore fandom but grossed a very respectable $619 million worldwide, kicking off the new era of DC Studios under co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran on a promising note. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-core
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-core
  1. deep
  2. inveterate
  3. lifelong
  4. entrenched
  5. inherent
  6. rooted
Adjective
  • At the start of the year, Iceland Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir said that deeper dialogue and collaboration with the EU would be a key factor in shoring up the country's interests.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Thankfully, his reappearance in the show actually has a deeper purpose.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • The cast features not just the creator, who makes the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype her own as ukulele troubadour Lulu, but also a pre-Bridgerton Jonathan Bailey in the wild role of an inveterate womanizer.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In the guest section, apparently at the invitation of one of the liberal Justices, sat Robert De Niro, an inveterate Trump critic.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inveterate
Adjective
  • Floods this summer affected many residents who do not live in floodplains, where flood insurance is not required, said Felipe Rocha, a lifelong Aurora resident and local insurance agent.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Hardy gifted his lifelong love of the game to Naima, Coltrane’s 13-year-old daughter in the novel.
    — Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of lifelong
Adjective
  • That’s the way an entrenched NFL veteran can afford to look at it, but to fans looking for clues, reasons to be excited — and a young player trying play himself off the bubble and onto the roster — it’s bound to be something more.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This challenge layered on top of the very real barriers that chronically absent students face can make educators feel defeated and think that absenteeism is simply too big and entrenched of a problem for schools to meaningfully address.
    — Jerome A. Graham, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of entrenched
Adjective
  • The strategy seeks to slow China's technological advancement through attrition rather than a complete ban, acknowledging the inherent challenge of policing cross-border digital services.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Although none of these trails are terribly technical, there’s still an inherent risk that comes with hiking.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of inherent
Adjective
  • Getty One of the Hard Rock's staying powers comes from making that familiarity feel rooted in the destination.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
  • But at this point, expectations for how much of an impact AI will have on individual companies doesn’t seem rooted in how much progress has been made in implementing it.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of rooted

Browse Nearby Words

hardcase
hard-core
hardcover
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard-core.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-core. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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