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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardheaded
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
Over his lifetime, Aron was a hardheaded defender of liberal values in the face of fascist and totalitarian ideological challengers.
—Raymond Aron, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 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
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
Over his lifetime, Aron was a hardheaded defender of liberal values in the face of fascist and totalitarian ideological challengers.
—Raymond Aron, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 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
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And that's not even counting any of the wholly original new shows this fall that are smart, gripping and exciting.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Elena Linari is a smart defensive signing, too.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Of all the bad-hair-day culprits, matted hair can be the most stubborn and frustrating.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
5 Sep. 2025
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Spills can be blotted (never rubbed) with a dry cloth since the fabric is non-absorptive, and for more stubborn stains, dry cleaning is recommended.—
Zoë Sessums,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This isn't a rejection of progress, but a pragmatic stance rooted in experience.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Nadeen is equally pragmatic about the theft, which is currently under investigation by Glendale police.—
Clare Fisher,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Shrek 2 took everything audiences loved about the first movie and amplified it, from the absurdist takes on fairy tale legends to its shrewd deployment of pop culture iconography.—
Skyler Trepel September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Boston is a first-class organization that scouts well, drafts well and always manages to make shrewd trades and financial decisions, but the Celtics' road back to the finals just became exceedingly more difficult.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As such, Mahomes evidently not only is immune to complacency but actually has become more adamant with success.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
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After taking a year off to improve his health, Renfrow was adamant about playing for the Panthers.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Whereas the former revealed the many ways in which the responsibility for keeping families and communities together falls on women (an observation that informs the new series as well), Ingelsby’s latest makes an astute study of guilt, revenge, and forgiveness.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
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Dan had done the right thing, but not the strategic or politically astute thing.—
Carol Geffner,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Nearly 3,000 Amazon shoppers gave the candle trio a five-star rating for their adjustable brightness, realistic flickering features, and neutral colors.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
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Unless more Democrats start being realistic, many more innocent people will unfortunately continue to suffer.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their next goal is to turn the system into a practical tool for early fire detection.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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The result is a service that understands the practical needs of businesses and individuals while also recognizing that behind every booking there is a story, a purpose, or a challenge that deserves attention.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheaded. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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