1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a hardheaded politician who never hesitated to set aside principle in favor of expediency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
Granny remained hardheaded about keeping her house and not moving into a nursing home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly
a hardheaded minister who understands the difficulties teenagers face today
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 hardheaded
When Buck resigned, the conservative cited a flank of the Republican Party’s hardheaded politics and unwavering devotion to Trump — traits that made Boebert a name brand.
—
Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
The messy middle refers to the difficult decisions that need to be made, guided by science and hardheaded economics.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024
There’s a poignancy in this confession, but also a hardheaded aspect.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 2 June 2024
At this point in a description of a possible future technology, a hardheaded engineer loses interest.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2018
See All Example Sentences for hardheaded
Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
The messy middle refers to the difficult decisions that need to be made, guided by science and hardheaded economics.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024
There’s a poignancy in this confession, but also a hardheaded aspect.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 2 June 2024
At this point in a description of a possible future technology, a hardheaded engineer loses interest.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2018
See All Example Sentences for hardheaded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheaded
Adjective
-
Winged munition autonomously detects moving targets Raytheon also highlighted that the StormBreaker smart weapon gives operators an upper hand in combat by hitting moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
-
In addition, businesses need to be smart about setting goals for AI.—
Bob Violino,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For years, scientists have focused on finding ways to neutralize or eliminate this stubborn waste.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
-
That ever-persistent chasm that has existed between white students and those of color in public schools has remained stubborn in Michigan, where more than 18% of Michigan's public school students are Black.—
Lily Altavena,
Freep.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Deep lab understanding of electrochemistry with the pragmatic systems engineering required to get field‐reliant hardware working in remote, corrosive environments.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Now is the time to be even more pragmatic.—
SHIRA EFRON,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Parallel to this moment, Freddy Sodawallah (Manish Chaudhari), the seasoned and shrewd Bollywood producer who has been managing Aasmaan’s early career, and Jaraj Saxena (Rajat Bedi), a fading actor desperate for a comeback, investigate the truth on their own.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
-
But a lot of this rebranding is the direct result of James Daunt’s (formerly of Daunt Books) shrewd PR work.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While the police union is adamant the city needs to provide them raises, some community advocates have spoken out, arguing the police department already takes up a significant amount of the city's budget.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
And in a now-viral TikTok, Stunna was adamant about denying last-minute plus-ones to his wedding.—
Nathan Vinson,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The odd, sometimes astute connections and ideas her seemingly new brain forms are not entirely unpleasant.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The other, more astute comparison might be to another game Kojima co-produced with legendary horror director Guillermo del Toro.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Many experts argue that while EV fire risks are serious, turning a battery into a flying hazard is not a realistic path forward.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Those on-demand, realistic substitutes could potentially expedite training for healthcare professions.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This design appeals to learners who want to prepare for practical everyday interactions rather than pass quizzes.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
-
But, following Russian aggression and the new reality in Ukraine, Gasanova understood the world had changed and that a more practical approach was needed.—
Finbarr Toesland,
Robb Report,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheaded. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share