Hardy

How to spell hardy

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce hardy

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does hardy mean?

1. adjectiveAble to endure difficult conditions, strain, or rough treatment.
2. adjectiveOf a plant: able to survive outdoors through cold weather without protection.

Hardy in a sentence

• The expedition needed a hardy crew willing to camp in freezing weather.

• Lavender is a hardy shrub that returns every spring without much care.

• Only the most hardy commuters cycled to work through the winter storm.

• She chose hardy perennials that could tolerate the harsh northern frost.

Where does hardy come from?

Language of origin: French

Hardy came into English in the early 1300s from the Old French word hardi, meaning 'bold' or 'daring'. That French adjective was the past participle of hardir, 'to make bold' or 'to harden', which the French had themselves borrowed from a Frankish (early Germanic) verb built on the root hard, meaning 'firm, tough, unyielding'. So although the word arrived dressed in French clothing, its core is the very same Germanic root that gives English the plain word 'hard', and that kinship is the easiest way to remember the spelling: think 'hard' plus '-y'. Over the centuries the sense softened from 'bold in battle' toward the modern idea of being able to withstand hardship, harsh weather, or rough treatment. Gardeners later adopted it for plants tough enough to survive a frost, while the surname Hardy preserves the older flavour of a brave or sturdy person.

How the word is built

• hard (Germanic root: tough, firm)
• -y (adjective suffix)