hard-nosed

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈnōzd 

1

: being tough, stubborn, or uncompromising

a hard-nosed boss

2

: hardheaded sense 2, tough-minded

Synonyms of hard-nosed

• stubborn
• adamant
• steadfast
• hardened

Examples of hard-nosed in a Sentence

the team's hard-nosed coach doesn't make exceptions for anybody

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition to Black’s lovable Po, the film also introduced Dustin Hoffman as the wise but hard-nosed Master Shifu and Randall Duk Kim as Grand Master Oogway, a tortoise with no shortage of sage advice. —Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025

His hard-nosed running style and Tasmanian devil-like demeanor quickly made the fourth-round pick a fan favorite alongside fellow rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Nov. 2025

The split-personality rig is a rough-hewn, hard-nosed adventure support vehicle outside and an exceptionally comfortable and livable home-on-a-hitch inside. —New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025

Its success requires being a place where people want to belong—and, for all Costco’s hard-nosed pursuit of low prices and high quality, such a desire has rested on an elusive sense of the company as a force for good in the world. —Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hard-nosed

• decomposed
• discomposed
• indisposed
• interposed
• juxtaposed
• predisposed
• presupposed
• reimposed
• superposed
• undisclosed
• undisposed
• unenclosed