hardheadedness

noun

1
as in persistence
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion her unrelenting hardheadedness didn't win many friends, but it helped her to get her way most of the time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters the hardheadedness of a bean counter

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheadedness
  1. persistence
  2. intelligence
  3. stubbornness
  4. wit
  5. persistency
  6. wisdom
  7. intransigence
  8. shrewdness
Noun
  • Bringing domain controllers online before validating their integrity can restore the attacker’s persistence along with them.
    — Robert Bobel, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • An attacker gains initial access, establishes persistence, escalates privileges, moves laterally and eventually achieves an objective such as data theft or disruption.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of persistence
Noun
  • War Secretary Pete Hegseth is mobilizing the Pentagon’s cybersecurity and intelligence resources to protect against foreign interference in the 2026 midterm elections.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The State Department’s annual declassified intelligence report has repeatedly concluded that Russia and North Korea have offensive biological weapons programs, while raising concerns about China and Iran.
    — Ashish K. Jha, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • The film’s cast is mostly made up of tribal non-actors, but Anghlong Konyak is its captivating center, as a man whose stubbornness against change sits alongside a lingering grief over his fading way of life.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps the stubbornness on both sides is why this rivalry thrives despite its nonconference status.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of stubbornness
Noun
  • When his inquiry leads directly to a ruthless corporate chairman played by Tony Leung Ka-fai, the two seasoned operators become locked in a battle of wits.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What’s a woman at her wit’s end with half her family 200 years in the future to do?
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wit
Noun
  • The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.
    — Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.
    — Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 2 May 2023
Definition of persistency
Noun
  • As climate uncertainty and political instability mount, their quest becomes a search for resilience, ancestral wisdom, and survival.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
  • As the night comes to a close, Little stands across from me on the terrace and shares the words of wisdom Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal imparted to the cohort earlier in the week.
    — Karla Cote, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wisdom
Noun
  • The fact that so many diplomats before him have struggled is a testament not to the intransigence of international problems but to the mediocrity of his predecessors.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Fatigue with the stagnation inherent in contemporary democratic institutions is among the key factors that make the promise to break through intransigence by autocratic leaders attractive to a plurality of voters.
    — Wendell Wallach, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026
Definition of intransigence
Noun
  • Spain’s shrewdness came in their refusal to engage with off-the-ball trivialities.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Instead, Franklin will rise by virtue of hard work and (actual) shrewdness.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of shrewdness
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.

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hardheaded
hardheadedness
hardheads
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Cite this Entry

“Hardheadedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheadedness. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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