hardheaded

adjective

hard·​head·​ed ˈhärd-ˈhe-dəd How to pronounce hardheaded (audio)
Synonyms of hardheaded
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 of hardheaded

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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
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.
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 Flash mobs in the Loop are a real problem demanding hardheaded solutions. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025 The second interpretation purports to be more hardheaded and sensible, wiser and world-weary after so many years of watching Trump at work. — Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026 In Beijing, the president scrapped hardheaded diplomacy in favor of an imagined personal bond. — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardheaded

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardheaded was circa 1532

Rhymes for hardheaded

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Browse Nearby Words

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hardhead sponge
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Cite this Entry

“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardheaded. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hardheaded

adjective
hard·​head·​ed ˈhärd-ˈhed-əd How to pronounce hardheaded (audio)
1
: stubborn sense 1
2
: marked by sound judgment
a hardheaded judgment
hardheadedly adverb
hardheadedness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hardheaded

Nglish: Translation of hardheaded for Spanish Speakers

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