hard-boiled

American  

[hahrd-boild] / ˈhɑrdˈbɔɪld /

adjective

1. Cooking. (of an egg) boiled in the shell long enough for the yolk and white to solidify.

2. Informal. tough; unsentimental.

   a hard-boiled vice-squad detective.

3. marked by a direct, clear-headed approach; realistic.

   a hard-boiled appraisal of the foreign situation.

4. (of detective fiction) written in a laconic, dispassionate, often ironic style for a realistic, unsentimental effect.

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hard-boiled British  

adjective

1. (of an egg) boiled until the yolk and white are solid

2. informal

   1. tough, realistic

   2. cynical

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Other Word Forms

• hard-boiledness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hard-boiled

1715–25; 1895–80 hard-boiled for def. 2; hard + boiled

Example Sentences

Whether you like your eggs sunny-side up, hard boiled or scrambled, many hesitate to eat them amid concerns that eggs may raise cholesterol levels and be bad for heart health.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2024

Egg salad, hard boiled eggs, deviled eggs, frittatas.

From Washington Times • Sep. 1, 2023

While some spreads feature everything from pizza rolls to hearty soups, others include little more than some strawberries and a hard boiled egg.

From National Geographic • Aug. 16, 2023

Heated debates held in the country's four national languages continued into early morning hours, with lawmakers fuelling themselves with raclette, hard boiled eggs left over from Easter and wine.

From Reuters • Apr. 12, 2023

Oil Sauce.—Pound in a mortar one shallot or two button onions, the yolks of two hard boiled eggs, a saltspoonful of herbs, a tablespoonful of vinegar, and enough oil to thicken it, about one gill.

From The Cooking Manual of Practical Directions for Economical Every-Day Cookery by Corson, Juliet

Related Words

• hard-nosed