hard-headed
Britishadjective
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tough, realistic, or shrewd; not moved by sentiment
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stubborn; obstinate
Other Word Forms
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.
This is "proof that our pragmatic, hard-headed international engagement brings benefits at home", he added.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
“Having already slashed tariffs on whisky exports to India, we’re now doing the same with China—proof that our pragmatic, hard-headed international engagement brings benefits at home,” Starmer said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
Andrew Cuomo—the hard-headed former governor of New York state —became something of a national hero in 2020 with his no-nonsense press conferences.
From Slate ● Mar. 11, 2025
“I found in my interviews that some very hard-headed astrophysicists who are very knowledgeable see the idea of a multiverse as enticing.”
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2024
But nothing tops the strange fate of Ralph Neves, a hard-headed, hard- riding teenaged jockey known as “the Portuguese Pepperpot.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
