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hardcore

/hɑː(ɹ)dˈkɔː(ɹ)/adjective, noun, adverb

hardcore is spelled H-A-R-D-C-O-R-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 9.3 times per million words in written English, the 7,445th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, hardcore means “Having an extreme dedication to a certain activity” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in hardcore?

Letters8: H-A-R-D-C-O-R-E
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing9.3 times per million words; the 7,445th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is hardcore?

Hardcore appears 9.3 times per million words in written English, the 7,445th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce hardcore?

  • /hɑː(ɹ)dˈkɔː(ɹ)/

Hardcore has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-hardcore.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with hardcore

Also written: hard-core (one word or two).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of hardcore

  • more hardcore comparative
  • most hardcore superlative
  • hard-core

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does hardcore mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Having an extreme dedication to a certain activity.

    He's a hardcore gamer.

  2. 2

    So hard as to require extreme dedication to complete.

  3. 3

    colloquialParticularly intense; thrillingly dangerous or erratic; desirably violent in appearance; pleasing or "cool" due to intensity or danger.

    That show was hardcore, dude.

  4. 4

    Resistant to change.

  5. 5

    Obscene or explicit.

  6. 6

    Depicting penetration and abnormal sexual activity.

  7. 7

    Faster or more intense than the regular style.

noun

  1. 1

    Broken bricks, stone and/or other aggregate used as foundations, especially in road and path laying.

  2. 2

    Hardcore punk.

  3. 3

    Gangsta rap.

  4. 4

    Hardcore techno.

  5. 5

    Jungle.

  6. 6

    Outlaw country.

adverb

  1. 1

    colloquialIn a hardcore manner; intensely or extremely.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate hardcore?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of hardcore: HC, hxc.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Hardcore in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Portuguesehardcore (having an extreme dedication to a certain…), punk (particularly intense)
Spanishesforzado, muy dedicado (having an extreme dedication to a certain…), intensísimo (particularly intense), duro, resistente, renuente (resistant to change)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does hardcore come from?

From hard + core: hard to the core; 1936 (n.); 1951 (adj.)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after hardcore