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

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

Good things have happened when people decided not to give up entirely and held on to that kind of hard-nosed faith.

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

The newly appointed CEO, according to people who have worked with him, possesses the charisma and confidence of Iger and the hard-nosed, profit-oriented finance focus of Bob Chapek, who was CEO from 2020 to 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Park’s hard-nosed approach to his themes, his ability to elicit strong performances and his deft touch with complex material have built his lofty reputation.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

But he had been one hell of a runner, tough as leather, hard-nosed, and people around town still remembered him for that as if it had happened yesterday.

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