hard-boiled

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈbȯi(-ə)ld How to pronounce hard-boiled (audio)
Definition of hard-boilednext
1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings a hard-boiled Puritan schoolmaster who was as unyielding as New England granite

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment made the hard-boiled business decision to downsize the company, thereby costing thousands of longtime employees their jobs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hard-boiled For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs. — Amanda MacMillan, Health, 9 Sep. 2025 It can be poached, scrambled, scotched, roasted, hard-boiled, devilled, pickled, and soft-boiled, all by itself. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 The lenses of deep-sea fish are also especially susceptible to clouding, in the same way that egg whites go from clear to opaque when hard-boiled. — Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025 Boiled Placing eggs in boiling water with the shells on is another healthy cooking method that can be used until the yolk is runny (soft-boiled) or fully cooked (hard-boiled). — Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-boiled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-boiled
  1. ruthless
  2. smart
  3. merciless
  4. hardheaded
  5. stony
  6. astute
  7. veteran
  8. savvy
Adjective
  • Natural selection is usually ruthless about weeding out traits with no function.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Supergirl builds to a final showdown with Krem of the Yellow Hills, the ruthless Brigands leader who murdered Ruthye’s family and poisoned Krypto early in the film.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of ruthless
Adjective
  • Like its existing Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley smart glasses lines, the new designs are developed with EssilorLuxxottica — the group that also owns Prada eyewear, rumored to be Meta’s next collaborator.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 7 July 2026
  • Recreating the look is easy at Quince, where smart trousers and shirts are available in similar colors and materials that channel the same laid-back aesthetic.
    — Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of smart
Adjective
  • The poem that precedes it, the Iliad, is a cruel and beautiful work, the ultimate story of war; the Odyssey has its warlike passages, but its central energies seem almost commonplace beside the merciless fury of Achilles.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • Humility is the posture; the standard is merciless.
    — Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of merciless
Adjective
  • In Beijing, the president scrapped hardheaded diplomacy in favor of an imagined personal bond.
    — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026
  • At the George offices, Berman loses it once and for all at John’s lateness, his indifference to the daily operations of the magazine, and his hardheaded refusal to consider the TV show.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of hardheaded
Adjective
  • Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.
    — Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
  • Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.
    — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Definition of stony
Adjective
  • However, his calm demeanor and astute in-game changes have helped the Selecao overcome deficits and build psychological resilience.
    — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Her astute observations — and solid Disney fairy tale references — don't stop there.
    — Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of astute
Adjective
  • The Clippers, already shedding veteran stars like George and James Harden, are now fully committed to building a younger, more robust roster for the long term.
    — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Perhaps the Canucks will add a veteran defender to push their young blueliners for minutes, or target a reclamation project veteran at a conservative price point.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of veteran
Adjective
  • The bomb-throwing influencer Kat Abughazaleh, 27, won the portions of that district in Chicago’s North Side lakefront neighborhoods, but suburban votes gave savvy Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss the win.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • But are the most savvy shoppers at the car dealership this Fourth of July?
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of savvy

Browse Nearby Words

hard-bitten
hard-boiled
hardcase
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Cite this Entry

“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hard-boiled

Nglish: Translation of hard-boiled for Spanish Speakers

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