# hardy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈhɑɹdi/ · frequency rank #8,799

## Definitions
1. Having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships.
2. Able to survive adverse growing conditions, especially frost.
3. Brave and resolute.
4. Impudent.

## Etymology
From Middle English hardy, hardi, from Old French hardi (“hardy, daring, stout, bold”).
Old French hardi is usually regarded as the past participle of hardir ("to harden, be bold, make bold"; compare Occitan ardir, Italian ardire), from Frankish *hardijan; but it may also have come directly from Frankish *hardi, a secondary form of Frankish *hard (compare Old High German harti, herti, secondary forms of Old High German hart (“hard”)); or even yet from Frankish *hardig (compare Middle Low German herdich (“persevering”), Old Danish hærdig, Norwegian herdig, Swedish härdig (“vigorous, courageous”)).
Cognate with hard. May have at some point also been surface analysed as hard + -y.

## Easily confused with
- **hay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hay)
- **harm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-harm)
- **hart** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hart)
- **herd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-herd)
- **hare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hare)
- **harp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-harp)
- **Hari** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hari)
- **hazy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hazy)
- **Hurd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hurd)
- **hark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hark)
- **heard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-heard)
- **harry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-harry)
- **harsh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-harsh)
- **hurry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hurry)
- **horny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-horny)
- **hasty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hasty)
- **hoard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-hoard)
- **horde** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-horde)
- **harem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-harem)
- **howdy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hardy-vs-howdy)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ahrdy`, `hadry`, `harddy`, `hardyy`, `harrdy`, `haryd`, `hhardy`, `hrady`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hardy