hardheaded

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈhe-dəd How to pronounce hardheaded (audio)
Definition of hardheadednext
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

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 While the tech sector may have (initially) had more utopian impulses than the hardheaded geopolitical realism of the state, both could see their mutual projects achieved through the same means. — Nick Srnicek, Wired News, 14 Jan. 2026 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 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 As Iran’s willingness to engage with the United States over its nuclear program showed, it is driven by hardheaded calculations of national interest, not a desire to spread its Islamic Revolution abroad. — Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018 See All Example Sentences for hardheaded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheaded
  1. smart
  2. stubborn
  3. pragmatic
  4. shrewd
  5. adamant
  6. realistic
  7. astute
  8. practical
Adjective
  • Here are the best, smartest and most revolutionary titles the genre created.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Apple Turnovers Grandma always appreciated a smart shortcut, and these apple turnovers have that—frozen puff pastry makes the crust on these turnovers quick and easy.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of smart
Adjective
  • The Federal Reserve is also hiking rates again to rein in stubborn inflation.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Pair that with five years of stubborn inflation, and workers are losing even more ground.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • Other executives describe him as pragmatic, meticulous, and unifying.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Barkov, a workout fiend, is taking a pragmatic approach to his latest injury.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of pragmatic
Adjective
  • Atlanta general manager Dan Padover built the Dream into a title contender through shrewd trades, a little bit of luck and patience from the team's ownership group.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • While Ultra is riding a wave, its early success has come in part from its shrewd as-a-service business model.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrewd
Adjective
  • Schnell was adamant that the film crew couldn’t provide any help to him.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Lander was adamant that rezonings didn’t have to go the way of Williamsburg.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of adamant
Adjective
  • The latest 104-qubit simulation, however, accounts for realistic hardware noise, allowing researchers to examine how errors affect magic state cultivation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Washington should work with allies’ defense industries and military planners to come up with a new division of labor, set force levels, and create a realistic timetable to meet their goals.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of realistic
Adjective
  • His astute stand-up and withering, spot-on insights into race, relationships and celebrity have influenced countless comedians and writers.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Her astute explanations, along with conversations with former immigration judges and other experts, helped turn a convoluted topic into a clear story.
    — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of astute
Adjective
  • This is the practical discipline of moving ever onward in the face of ambiguity.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Its experimental results could help determine whether fast-spectrum molten chloride reactors can progress toward practical applications, including future maritime power systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of practical

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Cite this Entry

“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheaded. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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