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
  • The affect of these books—brisk, unsentimental, exacting—serves their diagnosis.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • As executed, the 2019 show is an emotional yet refreshingly unsentimental black comedy that snickers in the face of empowerment buzzwords like, well, healing journey.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 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
  • For 30 minutes, the hunter watched the whitetails play a cat-and-mouse game as the buck tried to stay close to the unromantic does.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of unromantic
Adjective
  • Still, Spyder’s tactic set off a chain of legal and bottom-line events that all lead to next month’s hearing and potentially a trial next year.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This comes after shares of Target spiked last Wednesday after the retailer reported second-quarter top- and bottom-line gains and raised its outlook for the year.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of bottom-line
Adjective
  • The film is certainly casting a spell, and whether or not that’s simply cynical (and insidiously effective) marketing doesn’t much matter when you’re caught up in it.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There’s rom-com-style banter between Alice and her colleague Danny (Scoot McNairy), and cynical mentorship from FBI agent Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who has seen enough to drive her to drink.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of cynical
Adjective
  • However, her performance soon takes on a more grounded, childlike cadence, which roots the supposedly amnesiac Margot a little too firmly within the literal, especially for a tale whose poetry lies in its uncanniness.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • As a filmmaker, Henderson is interested in juxtaposing grounded characters and everyday settings with suspense, horror and the supernatural.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of grounded
Adjective
  • Kitchenware, pantry staples and cookbook publishers are the logical next category.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The handle of the pattern is relatively shallow, so from a trading perspective, placing a stop-loss slightly below its lower boundary near 512 provides a logical way to manage risk.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of logical
Adjective
  • If that is true, and Clancy chose to kill herself and take her children with her, was her act rational?
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • If only the film had lingered longer on Vasarhelyi’s totally rational horror and disbelief.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 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 8 Sep. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All