Phrase guide

hard shoulder

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A verge to the side of a highway, which should be used only in case of an emergency (especially on a motorway)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a paved strip beside a motorway (for stopping in emergencies)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shoulder, berm

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: vorera d'emergència — verge to the side of a highway
  • Chinese Mandarin: 硬路肩 (yìnglùjiān) — verge to the side of a highway
  • Dutch: vluchtstrook — verge to the side of a highway
  • Dutch: pechstrook — verge to the side of a highway
  • Finnish: päällystetty piennar — verge to the side of a highway
  • Finnish: piennar — verge to the side of a highway
  • French: bande d'arrêt d'urgence — verge to the side of a highway
  • French: accotement stabilisé — verge to the side of a highway
  • German: Standstreifen — verge to the side of a highway
  • German: Pannenstreifen — verge to the side of a highway
  • German: Seitenstreifen — verge to the side of a highway
  • Greek: ΛΕΑ (LEA) — verge to the side of a highway
  • Hungarian: leállósáv — verge to the side of a highway
  • Indonesian: bahu jalan — verge to the side of a highway
  • Italian: corsia di emergenza — verge to the side of a highway
  • Macedonian: принудна лента (prinudna lenta) — verge to the side of a highway
  • Polish: pas awaryjny — verge to the side of a highway
  • Romanian: bandă de urgență — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: acotamiento — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: arcén — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: banquina — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: berma — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: espaldón — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: hombrillo — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: hombro — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: paseo — verge to the side of a highway
  • Spanish: camellón — verge to the side of a highway
  • Ukrainian: смуга руху для аварійної зупинки (smuha ruxu dlja avarijnoji zupynky) — verge to the side of a highway
  • Ukrainian: аварійна смуга (avarijna smuha) — verge to the side of a highway
  • Welsh: llain galed — verge to the side of a highway