hard-nosed

American  

[hahrd-nohzd] / ˈhɑrdˌnoʊzd /

Or hardnosed

adjective

Informal.

1. hardheaded or tough; unsentimentally practical.

   a hard-nosed labor leader.

   Synonyms:

   inflexible, stubborn, rigid, intractable, down-to-earth, realistic

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hard-nosed British  

adjective

1. informal tough, shrewd, and practical

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Etymology

Origin of hard-nosed

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hard-nosed

Zhu also developed a reputation as a hard-nosed opponent of corruption, which he once described as one of China's most pressing problems.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

The Black Caps played hard-nosed, disciplined and ruthless Test cricket, giving a lesson to England.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

But the hard-nosed Cronin apparently couldn’t reach him while Michigan’s gentler Dusty May could and … hmmmm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

Noah Wyle plays Dr Robby, a traumatised, hard-nosed yet deeply empathetic lead physician in the A&E department of a Pittsburg hospital.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026

Will Bates was Gary Edwards’s teacher in algebra II, which seemed amazing given the fact that Edwards was a Carter Cowboy and Bates was a hard-nosed grader who made no bones about flunking kids.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• hard-boiled
• hardheaded
• no-nonsense
• tough-minded
• uncompromising