noun
hardwood
HAHRD-wuud
noun
1
Wood from broad-leaved trees such as oak or maple, often prized for furniture and flooring.
"They installed hardwood floors throughout the house."
"Oak and walnut are popular hardwoods for furniture making."
How to Use Hardwood
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTimber from broad-leaved (usually deciduous) trees, commonly used for flooring and furniture.
Common mistake
The name is about the tree type, not necessarily the wood's toughness — balsa wood is technically a hardwood despite being very soft.
Easily confused with
softwood
Common pairings
hardwood floor
hardwood furniture
solid hardwood
Word Forms
hardwoods plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “hardwood”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
They installed _____ floors throughout the house.
Etymology
From hard + wood. Despite the name, it refers to the type of tree rather than how physically hard the wood actually is — some hardwoods are softer than some softwoods.