hardcore
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.showing a very strong and serious commitment to an activity or group.
adj.characterised by extreme dedication or unwavering commitment to a specific cause, activity, or subculture.
Simple“He is a hardcore fan who travels to every single game his team plays.”
In context“The hardcore supporters remained in the stands despite the torrential rain, chanting until the final whistle blew.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.very intense, tough, or demanding extreme effort.
adj.highly intense, rigorous, or demanding; often used to describe physical training or difficult environments.
Simple“That mountain bike trail was pretty hardcore with all those steep drops.”
In context“The special forces undergo a hardcore training regime designed to push their physical and mental endurance to the absolute limit.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.showing or describing sexual acts or violence in a very detailed and direct way.
adj.depicting sexual acts or violence in an explicit, graphic, or unmitigated manner.
Simple“The movie was rated R because it contained some hardcore violence.”
In context“The documentary was criticised for including hardcore footage of the conflict that many viewers found unnecessarily graphic.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a style of music that is faster and louder than usual, like hardcore punk or techno.
n.a subgenre of punk rock or electronic dance music characterised by faster tempos and higher intensity.
Simple“She loves listening to hardcore when she needs a lot of energy at the gym.”
In context“The club specialised in hardcore, attracting a niche audience that appreciated the aggressive percussion and rapid-fire BPM.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
n.broken bricks or stones used to make a solid base for a road or building.
n.mass of solid, not easily compressed material such as broken bricks or stone used as a foundation.
Simple“The builders laid a layer of hardcore before pouring the concrete for the driveway.”
In context“The specifications required a six-inch layer of compacted hardcore to ensure the stability of the new access road.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
adv.doing something in a very intense or extreme way.
adv.acting in an intense, extreme, or uncompromising manner; functions as an intensifier.
Simple“They were partying hardcore until four in the morning.”
In context“The team went hardcore on the final project, staying in the office for thirty-six hours straight to meet the deadline.”
“Some guys, more hardcore than me, would hang a pack off each hip then swagger round like a western gunslinger.”
From hard + core: hard to the core; 1936 (n.); 1951 (adj.)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.