Hardy

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hardy

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

HAR-dee  /ˈhɑːdi/

Definition

Capable of enduring difficult conditions; robust and resilient; (of a plant) able to survive frost and outdoor conditions year-round; (of a person) bold, brave, or recklessly daring.

Plain meaning

Hardy means tough and able to withstand hardship — whether a plant that survives frost, a person who endures physical hardship, or something built to last in difficult conditions.

Register

Neutral and widely used. Hardy is both an everyday adjective (hardy souls, hardy perennials) and a technical term in horticulture (hardy annual, frost-hardy). The bold-and-daring sense survives in certain contexts.