hardball
[ hahrd-bawl ]
/ ˈhɑrdˌbɔl /
noun
baseball, as distinguished from softball.
adjective
tough or ruthless: He wasn't ready for the hardball politics of Washington.
outspoken, challenging, or difficult: Reporters asked the president some hardball questions.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Idioms for hardball
play hardball, to act or work aggressively, competitively, or ruthlessly, as in business or politics.
Words nearby hardball
hard as nails, hard-ass, hard-asset, hardback, hardbake, hardball, hard bargain, hard-bill, hard-bitten, hardboard, hardbody
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for hardball
British Dictionary definitions for hardball
hardball
/ (ˈhɑːdbɔːl) /
noun
US and Canadian baseball as distinct from softball
play hardball informal, mainly US and Canadian to act in a ruthless or uncompromising way
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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