hard·core
ˈhärd-ˈkȯr 
variants
or hard-core
1
a
: of, relating to, or being part of a hard core (see hard core sense 1a) : marked by or involving a persistent state or circumstance
hardcore poverty
the hard-core unemployed
c
: serious or intense in nature or degree
… gyms where the training became so hardcore that the program bordered on tyrannical.—
Mark Giannotto
Mark Giannotto2
of pornography
: containing explicit descriptions of sex acts or scenes of actual sex acts compare soft-core
3
: characterized by or being the purest or most basic form of something : fundamental
News executives deeply committed to and trained in hard-core journalism …—Ron Alridge
Ron Alridge
variants
or hardcore
plural hard cores or hardcores
1
: a central or fundamental and usually enduring group or part: such as
a
: a relatively small and usually enduring core of society marked by apparent resistance to change or inability to escape a persistent condition (such as poverty or chronic unemployment)
b
: the most devoted and active members of a group
… the hard core of the Unionist Party …—J. B. Firth
J. B. Firth2
usually hardcore chiefly British
: hard material in pieces (such as broken bricks or stone) used as a bottom layer or fill (as in making roads and in foundations)
3
usually hardcore
or hardcore punk
: a subgenre of punk rock marked usually by intense speed and loud volume
For most of the people who loved hardcore, the music was inseparable from the scene that created it, and from the turbulent shows that brought participants together.—Kelefa Sanneh
—often used before another nounKelefa Sanneh… '80s hardcore bands like the Adolescents and Vandals …—Lorraine Ali
Lorraine AliSynonyms
Examples of hardcore in a Sentence
Adjective
the hard-core habits that generate our mountains of trash everyday will be extremely difficult to change
Noun
He knows that he can count on the support of a hard core of party loyalists.
Recent Examples on the Web
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
The journey was additionally a hardcore field test for the Wee Hen design, which Kilner now plans to improve and make seaworthy.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2024
Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024
While some hard core lefties in the Democratic Party may object, moderates like Adams, who reach out to the middle, would be bolstered.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardcore 
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Adjective
As an undergrad, I was indoctrinated into auteur cinema by many hardcore cinephile friends.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
The journey was additionally a hardcore field test for the Wee Hen design, which Kilner now plans to improve and make seaworthy.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
Researchers first differentiated between hard core subtypes, who almost never leave their room and rarely talk to family members, and the soft category, who occasionally venture out and have some contact with their families.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024
While some hard core lefties in the Democratic Party may object, moderates like Adams, who reach out to the middle, would be bolstered.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardcore
Dictionary Entries Near hardcore
Cite this Entry
“Hardcore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardcore. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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