HARD-BOILED Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

hard-boiled

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈbȯi(-ə)ld

Definition of hard-boiled

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings a hard-boiled Puritan schoolmaster who was as unyielding as New England granite

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in smart

having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment made the hard-boiled business decision to downsize the company, thereby costing thousands of longtime employees their jobs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hard-boiled Boiled Placing eggs in boiling water with the shells on is another healthy cooking method that can be used until the yolk is runny (soft-boiled) or fully cooked (hard-boiled). — Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2026 The lenses of deep-sea fish are also especially susceptible to clouding, in the same way that egg whites go from clear to opaque when hard-boiled. — Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025 For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs. — Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023 This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for hard-boiled

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-boiled

Adjective

Today, it is widely known that coal miners of the 19th and early 20th centuries experienced ruthless exploitation and hazardous working conditions.

— Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
Involuntary bumping is more ruthless, denying boarding to passengers in a joyless game of musical plane seats.

— Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

Craig was highly rated, and the plan to try to be more physical with Sammis’ pro-style attack in a league increasingly dominated by teams built in the trenches like Texas Tech, BYU and Utah seemed smart.

— Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
Having experienced the dial adjust the volume on its own while the case was in my pocket, a disable option seems smart.

— Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of smart

Adjective

It would be seen as a work of merciless autofiction in the vein of Karl Ove Knausgaard, and it would be discussed, as his books are, as aggressive, antisocial, and spiteful.

— B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
In the story, Ria teams up with her foster mother and their fellow punks to resist a merciless developer intent on tearing down their building.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of merciless

Adjective

They must be addressed in a hardheaded and balanced way, not as Mayor Johnson insists by simply hiking taxes on businesses and the wealthy.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Andrea Suarez leads a group, We Heart Seattle, that combines care for the homeless with a hardheaded insistence on legal consequences and addiction treatment for drug users.

— Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of hardheaded

Adjective

Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.

— Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.

— Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026

Definition of stony

Adjective

His astute stand-up and withering, spot-on insights into race, relationships and celebrity have influenced countless comedians and writers.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
Her astute explanations, along with conversations with former immigration judges and other experts, helped turn a convoluted topic into a clear story.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of astute

Adjective

Rough game for veteran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was often targeted.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Related Stories For veteran Syrian producer Mohamed Mashish, who has built a decades-long career in Egypt, capitalizing on that momentum starts with the screenplay.

— Essie Assibu, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of veteran

Adjective

He is surrounded by a parade of savvier comic archetypes — from his urbane, happily rational brother, Beralde (Dylan Baker), to his smart-aleck maid, Toinette (Rachel Bloom, giving eternal side-eye) — who have to either evade or manipulate him.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Wagler had an assist on his first touch and converted a savvy layup for his first career points.

— Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of savvy

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hard-bitten

hard-boiled

hardcase

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“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hard-boiled

adjective

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