hard found

USAGE SUMMARY

"hard found" is not correct as written.
You could use the phrase "hard to find" in place of "hard found". For example: "This rare book is hard to find, even with the help of the internet."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"In this environment," he said, "buyers are hard found because everyone has been touched by this financial mess".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Redemption is hard find.

Vice

Opposition is hard to find.

The Economist

It's hard to find".

The New York Times - Arts

Those are hard to find.

The New York Times

Jobs are hard to find.

The New York Times - Sports

Astronauts are hard to find.

The New York Times - Sports

Taxis are hard to find".

The New York Times

Some are hard to find.

The Economist

Very hard to find.

The New York Times

Hard to find words.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "hard found" in formal writing. Opt for the more grammatically correct and widely accepted alternative, "hard to find".

Common error

The incorrect usage of "hard found" stems from a misunderstanding of verb forms. Remember to use the infinitive form "to find" after the adjective "hard" to express difficulty: "It is "hard to find"", not "It is "hard found"".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hard found" functions as an adjective-participle combination where "hard" modifies the implied action of finding. However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically incorrect. The intended meaning is to express the difficulty in locating something.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "hard found" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. Ludwig AI suggests that a better alternative is "hard to find". While there are some instances of its usage in news and media, it is rare and does not conform to standard English grammar. It's important to use grammatically correct phrases such as "difficult to find" or "challenging to discover" to ensure clarity and credibility in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to find

Replaces "hard found" with the more grammatically correct "difficult to find".

hard to locate

Substitutes "find" with "locate" while keeping the intended meaning of difficulty.

challenging to discover

Uses "challenging" to emphasize the difficulty, and "discover" for finding.

not easily found

Rephrases to focus on the lack of ease in finding something.

rarely discovered

Highlights the infrequency of something being found or discovered.

uncommon to find

Emphasizes the unusual nature of finding something.

scarce to locate

Indicates that something is limited and therefore difficult to locate.

hard to come by

An idiomatic expression indicating difficulty in obtaining something.

difficult to unearth

Uses "unearth" to suggest digging or searching deeply, making it hard.

elusive to find

Implies that something is evasive and therefore hard to find.

FAQs

Is "hard found" grammatically correct?

No, "hard found" is not grammatically correct. The correct phrase is "hard to find".

What does "hard to find" mean?

The phrase "hard to find" means that something is difficult to locate or obtain.

Can I use "difficult found" instead of "hard found"?

No, "difficult found" is also grammatically incorrect. The proper phrasing is "difficult to find".

What are some alternatives to "hard to find"?

Some alternatives include "difficult to locate", "challenging to discover", and "not easily found".