hardheaded
Americanadjective
-
not easily moved or deceived; practical; shrewd.
- Synonyms:
- down-to-earth, cool, pragmatic, realistic, astute
-
obstinate; stubborn; willful.
Other Word Forms
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
But behind the display of friendship was a backdrop of hardheaded geopolitics.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2023
The hardheaded reader will object that one of these examples isn’t like the others.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
I was hardheaded, self-contained and struggled to show affection toward the people I loved.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2022
He was Howard Poillon, a hardheaded businessman who was determined to make the most of the corporation’s growing patent portfolio but also more willing to defer to Cottrell’s wishes and judgment on philanthropic matters.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
