Meaning
A firm, emphatic refusal or rejection of an offer, invitation, or suggestion; a non-negotiable no, often with a note of distaste. Stronger than a simple 'I'll pass'. Merriam-Webster defines it as 'a firm refusal or rejection of something (such as an offer)'. Informal. Informal, conversational; usually humorous or blunt, and can sound rude in formal settings. Regional use: General English; strongest in North American and online contexts.
Origin
The phrase builds on the older American use of 'pass' to decline, which comes from card games, where to pass is to decline to bid or play; 'hard' was added as an intensifier on the pattern of 'hard no'. It spread through internet culture, social media, and sports commentary from the mid-2010s, where teams were said to take a 'hard pass' on trades and free agents. Merriam-Webster added it to its Collegiate Dictionary in January 2021, alongside words like 'dad bod', and discussed the addition in its Word Matters podcast. The exact first use in the intensified sense is not documented.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- hard no (near-synonym)
- hard pass on that
- that's a hard pass
Usage Examples
- Karaoke after a twelve-hour shift? Hard pass.
- The studio took a hard pass on the sequel after the first film flopped.
- He offered me the window seat and I said hard pass; I need the aisle.