hard core

¹

noun

1. the permanent, dedicated, and completely faithful nucleus of a group or movement, as of a political party.
2. an unyielding or intransigent element in a social or organizational structure, as that part of a group consisting of longtime adherents or those resistant to change.
3. those whose condition seems to be without hope of remedy or change.
4. Usually hardcore. a form of punk rock or other nonmainstream popular music played in an intense, harsh, and fast style with more emphasis on rhythm than on melody.

hard-core

²

or hard·core

[ hahrd-kawr, -kohr ]

adjective

1. unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated:

   a hard-core segregationist.

2. relating to or containing sexually arousing depictions that are very graphic or explicit: Compare soft-core.

   hard-core pornography.

3. being so without apparent change or remedy; chronic:

   hard-core inflation; hard-core unemployment.

4. very intense or extreme:

   hard-core workouts at the gym.

5. Usually hardcore. noting or relating to the music genre hardcore, or the subculture, clothing style, etc., associated with it:

   hardcore t-shirts and jeans.

6. noting or relating to video games that can only be mastered with advanced skill and are played in longer sessions, or noting a player of such games: Compare casual ( def 8 ).

   hard-core gaming.

hard core

noun

1. the members of a group or movement who form an intransigent nucleus resisting change
2. material, such as broken bricks, stones, etc, used to form a foundation for a road, paving, building, etc

adjective

1. (of pornography) describing or depicting sexual acts in explicit detail
2. extremely committed or fanatical

   a hard-core Communist

Word History and Origins

Origin of hard core¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Origin of hard core²

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

In new research, we argue that there is an identifiable hard core of extremely loyal Trump supporters that comprise his personality cult.

From Salon

It needed to be "absolutely hard core" about cost reduction, he wrote in a memo first reported by The Information.

From BBC

Trump gets a pass from the hard core supporters if women are enslaved if the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

From Salon

Eastman has a GiveSendGo page, where he posts updates on his State Bar trial and blames “hard core leftist activists” for targeting him.

From Los Angeles Times

“That kind of cross-conspiracy craziness costs credibility...not with the hard core but with the subset that is persuadable.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• devoted
• die-hard
• staunch