hardheaded

adjective hard·head·ed \ ˈhärd-ˈhe-dəd \

Definition of hardheaded

1 :stubborn, willful

2 :concerned with or involving practical considerations :sober, realistic

some hardheaded advice

a hardheaded observer of winds and tides

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hardheadedly

adverb

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hardheadedness

noun

See hardheaded defined for English-language learners

See hardheaded defined for kids

Examples of hardheaded in a Sentence

He was always hardheaded about getting his way.
We need to take a more hardheaded approach to these problems.
She gave him some hardheaded advice.

Recent Examples of hardheaded from the Web

Mutual-fund managers are paid to ferret out the best stocks with hardheaded analysis.

— jeff brown, WSJ, "Some Fund Managers Let Their Political Biases Show When Picking Stocks," 7 May 2017
His new business partner, Sam Katz, a hardheaded former production executive at MGM, warned that Foreman’s refusal to come clean with the committee could kill the larger deal with Columbia.

— glenn frankel, VanityFair.com, "High Noon’s Secret Backstory," 22 Feb. 2017
Most hardheaded analysis — including from those sympathetic ideologically — suggests this is wrong.

— neil irwin, New York Times, "The Trump Administration Could Test Whether Deficits Help the Economy," 9 Nov. 2016
Another requirement may well be a combative attitude, a streak of hardheaded resistance.

— jon pareles, New York Times, "Review: Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, Electric, Not Just Nostalgic, at Desert Trip OCT. 8, 2016," 10 Oct. 2016
The charismatic Tuzman, intoxicated by meetings with President Clinton and airtime on CNN, ultimately sacrifices his lifelong friendship with Herman for his hardheaded dreams of power and wealth.

— tank menzies, WIRED, "Startup.com," 1 May 2001

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hardheaded.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of hardheaded

circa 1532

hardheaded Synonyms

Synonyms

astute, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, shrewd, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp, sharp-witted, smart

Antonyms

unknowing

Related Words

artful, cagey (also cagy), crafty, cunning, devious, dodgy [chiefly British], foxy, guileful, pawky [chiefly British], slick, sly, subtle, tricky, wily; discerning, insightful, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, wise; experienced, veteran; discriminating, discriminative; agile, alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted; apt, ingenious, resourceful; calculating, scheming

Near Antonyms

artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive (or naïve); exploitable, gullible (also gullable); unperceptive, unwise; dense, dull, obtuse; airheaded, birdbrained, brain-dead, brainless, dim-witted, dopey (also dopy), dumb, empty-headed, feebleminded, gormless [chiefly British], half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain (or lamebrained), lunkheaded, simple, slow, slow-witted, softheaded, stupid, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, weak-minded; foolish, idiotic (also idiotical), imbecile (or imbecilic), moronic, silly, thoughtless, witless; ignorant, uninformed

HARDHEADED Defined for English Language Learners

hardheaded

adjective

Definition of hardheaded for English Language Learners

: not willing to change ideas or opinions : very stubborn
: having or involving careful and practical thoughts and ideas that are not influenced by emotions : practical and realistic