hard-pressed, adj. burdened, weighed down, loaded, loaded down, overloaded, overburdened, overworked; harried, harassed, ground down, pushed; penned in, hemmed in, in a corner, in a tight spot, up against it, between a rock and a hard place; pressured, under pressure, taxed, over-taxed, strained, troubled, careworn; oppressed, abused, subjugated, encumbered, impeded, hampered, hindered, handicapped, shackled; bound, caught up, entangled; faltering, ready to give up.
hardship, n. 1. affliction, adversity, hurt, harm, ruin, ruination, bane, desolation; austerity, privation, want, need, neglect; severity, rigor, stringency, deprivation, destitution, prostration; difficulty, plight, strait, predicament, trouble, peck or sea of troubles, stress, storm and stress; misfortune, infelicity, ill or bad luck, ill or bad fortune, ambsace, evil eye, evil wind, dark cloud or star, storm clouds; ordeal, trial, tribulation, cross, burden, weight, load, heavy load or burden, oppression; misery, wretchedness, pain, agony, torture, torment, travail; distress, suffering, Archaic, bale.
2. mishap, mischance, miscarriage, misadventure, Scot. and North. Eng. mischanter, glitch, casualty, accident, injury; shock, blow, heavy or nasty or staggering blow, buffet, stroke, stroke of bad luck or fortune; reverse, reversal, setback, comedown, bringdown, bitter pill, bitter cup; disaster, tragedy, calamity, catastrophe, cataclysm; infliction, visitation, scourge, blight.
hardware, n. 1. metalware, hard goods, durables, appliances, Brit, ironmongery.
2. equipment, gear, accouterments, appurtenances, fixtures, paraphernalia, Inf things; tools, contrivances, machinery, implements, utensils, conveniences; All Mil. arms, armaments, munitions, materiel.
hardy, adj. 1. sturdy, rugged, strong, mighty, powerful, iron, Atlantean, able-bodied, able, virile; brawny, muscular, muscled, strapping, athletic, husky, burly, stout, hefty, broad-shouldered, well-developed, Derog. muscle-bound; sound, sinewy, wiry, thewy, leathery, cast-iron, Inf. hard as a rock, Inf. tough as nails; robust, hale, hearty, red-blooded, vigorous, healthy, fit, fit as a fiddle, in fine fettle or condition or shape.
2. strenuous, rigorous, rugged, Spartan, herculean; exacting, laborious, onerous, arduous; hard, tough, uphill, difficult; fatiguing, tiring, wearisome.
3. resolute, stalwart, Archaic, stalworth; staunch, dogged, determined, firm, steadfast, fixed, stubborn, strong-willed; indomitable, enduring, lasting, indefatigable; unyielding, unflinching, unshrinking, unwavering.
4. courageous, brave, valiant, valorous, heroic, stout-hearted, lion-hearted, iron-hearted, greathearted, chivalrous, doughty, Scot. bardy; undaunted, dauntless, fearless, dreadless, aweless, unafraid, intrepid; bold, bold-spirited, daring, plucky, nervy, gritty, Inf. spunky, SI. gutsy; adventurous, adventuresome, venturous, venturesome, high-spirited, spirited, game, mettlesome.
5. rash, impetuous, headstrong, temerarious, daredevil, foolhardy; reckless, careless, wanton, incautious, imprudent.
hare, n. jackrabbit, leveret; rabbit, cottontail, lapin, Inf. bunny or bunny rabbit.
harebrained, adj. 1. foolhardy, madcap, wild, ridiculous, ludicrous; reckless, rash, headlong, precipitate, breakneck; improvident, uncautious, unwary.
2. giddy, dizzy, flighty, fanciful, whimsical, fickle, capricious, notional, unsteady, SI. gaga; frivolous, facetious, silly, foolish, scatter-brained; empty-headed, brainless, witless, stupid.