hard water

noun

Water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals, especially calcium, making it difficult to lather with soap.

Opposite
soft water
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Meanings

nounhard water (countable and uncountable, plural hard waters)

plural hard waters

  1. countableuncountablechemistryWater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals, especially calcium, making it difficult to lather with soap.

    Antonyms: soft water

Synonyms & antonyms

nounWater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals, especially calcium, making it difficult to lather with soap.

Opposite
soft water

More synonyms by meaning

nounwater that contains mineral salts (as calcium and magnesium ions) that limit the formation of lather with soap

Opposite
soft water
Broader
waterH2O

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 硬水
  • 硬水 (yìngshuǐ)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Danish hårdt vand
  • hårdt vandwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Dutch hard water
  • hard waterwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Finnish kova vesi
  • kova vesiwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
French eau dure
  • eau durewater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
German hartes Wasser
  • hartes Wasserwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Greek σκληρό νερό
  • σκληρό νερό (skliró neró)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Indonesian air sadah
  • air sadahwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Irish uisce crua
  • uisce cruawater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Japanese 硬水
  • 硬水 (kōsui)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Korean 경수, 센물
  • 경수 (gyeongsu)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
  • 센물 (senmul)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Malay air liat
  • air liatwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Polish twarda woda
  • twarda wodawater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Portuguese água dura
  • água durawater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Romanian apă dură
  • apă durăwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Russian жёсткая вода́
  • жёсткая вода́ (žóstkaja vodá)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Spanish agua dura
  • agua durawater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Swedish hårt vatten
  • hårt vattenwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Thai น้ำกระด้าง
  • น้ำกระด้าง (náam-grà-dâang)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Turkish sert su
  • sert suwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Ukrainian тверда́ вода́
  • тверда́ вода́ (tverdá vodá)water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Welsh dŵr caled
  • dŵr caledwater with a high concentration of dissolved minerals
Cite this entry
APA

hard water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20water

MLA

“hard water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20water. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hard water,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20water.

Source: hard water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.