1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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, 9 Sep. 2025
In a smaller pot of water over high heat, boil eggs, covered, until just hard-boiled, 7 minutes, then run under cold water.
—Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 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
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 9 Sep. 2025
In a smaller pot of water over high heat, boil eggs, covered, until just hard-boiled, 7 minutes, then run under cold water.
—Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 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
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-boiled
Adjective
-
The ruthless conglomerate's logo, base, ships, and equipment are featured throughout the film, in addition to the synths themselves.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Earlier stories in that newspaper described López Torres as a ruthless trafficker who has killed dozens and was earlier aligned with Colombia’s right-wing paramilitary forces, known as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or the Spanish acronym AUC.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
An elastic waistband stays comfortable for hours, making this a smart pick for long flights or full travel days.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
-
There are smart-looking couples in the mix, too, snagging a romantic getaway in the heart of Austin—near live music, bars, and restaurants and just 10 miles from the airport.—
Kathryn Streeter,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Following the deaths of his brother William (Felix Kammerer) and his sister-in-law Elizabeth (Mia Goth), Victor vows vengeance on the Creature and dedicates the rest of his life to a merciless pursuit of him.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The book, which is from Australia, follows Bee and her fellow runaways, who discover a new friend, Paco, is a Lost Boy from Neverland who needs them to fight hordes of pirates led by a merciless new leader.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In the complicated, thorny, offensive, manipulative, sometimes hilarious, sometimes uncomfortable video interview, which evokes the feeling of an uncle sitting down with his hardheaded nephew, Thug is reeling and full of so much anxiety that his legs are shaking.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Flash mobs in the Loop are a real problem demanding hardheaded solutions.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Without prosecutors empowered to bring charges against wrongdoers, judges willing to strike down overreach, legislators daring enough to demand investigations and change laws, and citizens outraged enough to protest, any revelations by journalists will fall on stony ground.—
Susan Chira,
Foreign Affairs,
2 Dec. 2025
-
After that historic journey, NASA charted a new course toward Apophis, a stony metal-rich NEA that offers a sharp scientific contrast to Bennu's carbon-rich composition (and was once thought to pose a serious impact risk to Earth).—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The champion of deregulation here embraced radical regulation, in a way that served his interests as a homeowner but was also politically astute.—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
-
And perhaps Disney’s deal with OpenAI will prove prescient and astute.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Ray Baker, a veteran county administrator who has run the $133-million-a-year library system since 2017, will take over as budget director and manage the drafting of the 2027 budget proposal Levine Cava must submit this summer.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Two plucky young wingers with a veteran centre.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Jackson, who signed on to represent Nick a day after his arrest, is one of the most prominent lawyers in the country — a savvy criminal defense attorney who previously represented Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Karen Read.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Amazon is packed with smart, savvy, and budget-friendly storage and organization finds that can effortlessly transform every room of your home without breaking the bank.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share