hardheaded
Americanadjective
-
not easily moved or deceived; practical; shrewd.
- Synonyms:
- down-to-earth, cool, pragmatic, realistic, astute
-
obstinate; stubborn; willful.
Other Word Forms
- hardheadedly adverb
- hardheadedness noun
Etymology
Origin of hardheaded
First recorded in 1575–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even worse are the hardheaded dollars-and-cents realists of Wall Street who take this new reality as a given.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025
The verdict’s out on a more hardheaded and unruly species.
From Seattle Times • May 10, 2023
I was hardheaded, self-contained and struggled to show affection toward the people I loved.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2022
But in these more hardheaded scenes, he also makes it clear that their impact can be unpredictable, and like comedy, they can deceive just as deftly.
From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2022
You’ve always been hardheaded, even when Momma was living.
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
