hardheaded

adjective

hard·​head·​ed ˈhärd-ˈhe-dəd 

1

: stubborn, willful

2

: concerned with or involving practical considerations : sober, realistic

some hardheaded advice

a hardheaded observer of winds and tides

hardheadedly adverb

hardheadedness noun

Synonyms

• astute
• canny
• clear-eyed
• clear-sighted
• hard-boiled
• heady
• knowing
• savvy
• sharp
• sharp-witted
• shrewd
• smart

Examples of hardheaded in a Sentence

He was always hardheaded about getting his way.

We need to take a more hardheaded approach to these problems.

She gave him some hardheaded advice.

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Meryl is a hardheaded Candide, a sharp-eyed Don Quixote. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023

For the sake of both regional stability and long-term U.S. security, Washington needs to sustain a hardheaded, clear-eyed empathy for the interests of the Russians as well as of the Ukrainians and other nationalities. —Frank Costigliola, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hardheaded

adjective

hard·​head·​ed ˈhärd-ˈhed-əd 

1

: stubborn sense 1

2

: marked by sound judgment

a hardheaded judgment

hardheadedly adverb

hardheadedness noun