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.

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 So, leaving my children in the kids’ club with strangers was initially a hard pass for me. —

Essence, 29 July 2024 Of course, most makeup products are subjective, and one person’s hard pass could be another’s treasure. —

Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 15 Jan. 2024 The Hard Pass: A hard pass redirects a suitor’s love and turns it into hate. —

Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2024 As for the parties that don’t have adequate seating or ideal circumstances, food stations should be a hard pass. —

Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 However, having his music on in the bedroom is a hard pass for Ginuwine. —

Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024 For every baked feta pasta (swoon) there are three pasta chips (hard pass). —

Emily Heil, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024