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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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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Recent Examples of hardheaded
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
British officials know this and sometimes despair that their country has not found a way to be more hardheaded.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for hardheaded
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
British officials know this and sometimes despair that their country has not found a way to be more hardheaded.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for hardheaded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheaded
Adjective
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Many professionals spend years trying to sound smarter, calmer, more agreeable, or more polished while gradually losing trust in their natural instincts and communication style.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
GreenLife brings smart design and colorful style to your everyday cooking with this Compact Stainless Steel Saucepan Set.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Grab a melamine sponge and get rid of stubborn bathtub stains in a jiffy.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
1 June 2026
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If the Avs remain stubborn and play a style that suits their stars in the regular season, MacKinnon might win another title, but will be at the end of his career with another team.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Tharmarajah provides a great balance of comic relief and utter poignance, explaining his survival techniques as an orphan, carving out a pragmatic path in life leading to a particular kind of soaring.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
Going through the pandemic and losing a lot of people, and a lot of people losing faith and hope, and being someone who also performed military service, Ali’s a person who has to be a bit more pragmatic about death.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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The 56-year-old Iranian American, who grew up in Los Angeles, is the architect of shrewd moves that have brought Paramount within reach of its blockbuster merger that would redefine Hollywood.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Prove his nous in the transfer market Based on Nuno’s first window, Axel Disasi, 28, the loanee from Chelsea and Taty Castellanos, 27, the €29m arrival from Lazio, were shrewd signings.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation have been adamant that many of the major road closures and resurfacing projects are unrelated to the World Cup, and therefore are on a multi-year timeline.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Healthcare advocates are equally adamant.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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None of this felt realistic, especially not Colman Domingo’s sawed-off-shotgun-wielding Ali shooting up Alamo’s club in his mentee Rue’s honor, shattering a mask of poise that had defined his character (like the whiplash of Khaleesi’s end of Game of Thrones rogue era).—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
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Critics, including some of the country’s largest education networks, say the government’s framework does not provide a fair or realistic measure of success for creative professionals.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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While the criticism is well deserved, to its credit, the report does make a handful of astute observations that Democrats would be wise not to dismiss.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
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The Cult Content Boom The three-part series, however, is grounded with an astute cast, headed by former cult member Hoyt Richards, a 1980s and ’90s supermodel, the face of global campaigns for Versace, Valentino, Cartier and Ralph Lauren.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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According to China Daily, several Chinese automakers and battery manufacturers are accelerating commercialization efforts, viewing the technology as a practical path toward improved battery performance without the manufacturing challenges associated with fully solid-state designs.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
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The tiny house features a practical interior with two bedrooms – plus a sofa bed for guests – and has multiple options available, including off-grid functionality.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheaded. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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