hard pass

noun

: a firm refusal or rejection of something (such as an offer)
Then poor Gendry asks Arya to be his lady, but Arya gives him a hard pass.Rob Bricken
… the residents of Gunbarrel speak with a unified and unwavering voice: "No thank you, Mr. Mayor! Hard pass."R. M. O'Dea
That disclaimer was disregarded by some who found Turner's suggestion too extreme. A home run derby in a regular season game? Is this hockey and its penalty shootouts? Hard pass.Jorge Castillo
Take a hard pass on the house cocktails, and stick with beer or wine. Or skip the booze altogether …Greg Cox

Examples of hard pass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And the thought of Bedard winging those hard passes into the crease to a waiting Bertuzzi for years to come is awfully appealing. Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025 At one point, the White House sought to revoke Acosta’s hard pass, and the network challenged the move in court. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025 But while there are a rainbow of hues designers would happily coat a room in, some shades a hard pass for the pros. Kelsey Mulvey, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024 The time commitment, the awkward small talk during exercises…a hard pass, and last resort, just like surgery. Kelli Acciardo, Allure, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hard pass 

Word History

First Known Use

2014, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard pass was in 2014

Dictionary Entries Near hard pass

Cite this Entry

“Hard pass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20pass. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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