| Noun | 1. | hardness - the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scaleconsistency, consistence, body - the property of holding together and retaining its shape; "when the dough has enough consistency it is ready to bake" firmness - the property of being unyielding to the touch softness - the property of giving little resistance to pressure | |
| 2. | hardness - devoid of passion or feeling | |
| 3. | hardness - the quality of being difficult to do; "he assigned a series of problems of increasing hardness" | |
| 4. | hardness - excessive sternness; "severity of character"; "the harshness of his punishment was inhuman"; "the rigors of boot camp" | |