hard-edged

adjective

Definition of hard-edgednext
as in unsentimental

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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-edged The Good, the Bad and the Painterly As Bouancheau fashioned a Puss that was more lyrical, like a character that stepped out of a fairy tale book and less hard-edged, all the other characters followed suit. — Karen Idelson, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-edged
  1. unsentimental
  2. tough-minded
  3. unromantic
  4. bottom-line
  5. cynical
  6. grounded
  7. logical
  8. rational
Adjective
  • Smith Galer has much to say against the case for putting languages out of their misery, but her focus is on a point with which even the most unsentimental can surely sympathize.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • Her rigidly unsentimental mother, however, sees only urban labor and profitably arranged marriage in her future.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 July 2026
Definition of unsentimental
Adjective
  • Everyone who watches Cochran sees a hard-nosed, tough-minded center back who makes an impact at both ends of the field.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
  • Those are two tough-minded veterans.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of tough-minded
Adjective
  • Gorgeous cinematography and a very unromantic portrayal of the grueling life of a secret agent make this a solid watch.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
  • This idea was supposed to be the kind of thing that could convince even the most unromantic skeptics that space exploration was not only spiritually fulfilling, but economically advantageous.
    — Elena Saavedra Buckley, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of unromantic
Adjective
  • What’s your bottom-line advice for families who want to help their children eat more fruits and vegetables?
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Both top- and bottom-line metrics beat Wall Street expectations.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 July 2026
Definition of bottom-line
Adjective
  • To complete the drama, England finished with 13, Argentina with 15 when Henry Pollock was sent to the sin-bin over team infringements and Emmanuel Iyogun, on debut, for cynical offending.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Booked even earlier than Romero for a cynical foul, he was substituted partly out of fear of a second yellow in the 72nd minute.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of cynical
Adjective
  • The production feels more grounded and more nuanced than that of The Secret of Us, whose rootsy foundation sometimes had a plastic sheen.
    — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026
  • And remember, headlines about economic uncertainty can create additional stress, so do your best to stay grounded and separate information from alarm.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of grounded
Adjective
  • Sholl also notes that the largest station groups may not immediately rush to buy competitors because many of the most logical acquirers are already shouldering a lot of debt.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • At a glance, de-normalizing alcohol consumption seems like a logical next step after cracking down on smoking.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026
Definition of logical
Adjective
  • In an article for Marie Claire, Rapinoe trotted out several common left-wing talking points aimed at scaring rational-thinking people into believing that keeping males out of women's sports is somehow bad for girls and women.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
  • While shocking, the Australian Space Agency said there’s a completely rational, albeit cosmic, explanation.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Definition of rational

Browse Nearby Words

hard-driving
hard-edged
harden
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard-edged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-edged. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All