Word
hardy
US/ˈhɑɹdi/
UK/hˈɑːdi/
Definition
n. strong and able to survive difficult conditions like cold weather or hard work. You use this to describe plants that live through the winter or people who do not get sick easily.
n. capable of enduring fatigue, hardship, or exposure to harsh environmental conditions. Often used in botanical contexts to describe plants that survive winter outdoors without protection.
Examples
“These hardy plants survive even in the coldest winters.”
“The mountain guides are a hardy group of people who spend all year working in freezing temperatures.”
“While many tropical species require a greenhouse to survive the frost, these hardy shrubs can be planted directly in the garden and will thrive with minimal maintenance.”
Examples
simple
“These hardy plants survive even in the coldest winters.”
contextual
“The mountain guides are a hardy group of people who spend all year working in freezing temperatures.”
complex
“While many tropical species require a greenhouse to survive the frost, these hardy shrubs can be planted directly in the garden and will thrive with minimal maintenance.”
Usage
Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun, though it can also follow a linking verb.
Pitfall
He is a hearty person who survives the cold.
He is a hardy person who survives the cold.
Learners often confuse 'hardy' (strong/tough) with 'hearty' (loud/cheerful or large, as in a meal).
Real-World Examples
“We pack our work into those summer months, then hand IceCube off to two hardy “winter-over” scientists.” “The hardy souls who slept here in the early 20th century would have dined on moose soup by lantern light and hauled their own water.” Etymology
From Old English *Hearda + īeġ (“island, dry land in a marsh”).
* As an English, Scottish, and French surname, from Middle English hardy, hardi, from Old French hardi (“hardy, daring, stout, bold”). * As an Irish surname, via mac giolla deacair (“son of the hard lad”) as a calque of the above. * Also as a Scottish surname, variant of Hardie.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. hardy perennial
02. party hardy
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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