hard-nosed

or hard·nosed

[ hahrd-nohzd ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. hardheaded or tough; unsentimentally practical:

   a hard-nosed labor leader.

   Synonyms: inflexible, stubborn, rigid, intractable, down-to-earth, realistic

hard-nosed

adjective

1. informal.
   tough, shrewd, and practical

Word History and Origins

Origin of hard-nosed¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Normally an air accident investigation would involve a swarm of hard-nosed engineers and scientists poring over wreckage.

From The Daily Beast

Hard-nosed criticism is squeezed out by soft stories, gossip and fluff.

From The Daily Beast

“Politics is a hard-nosed game, and the right has been playing Marquess of Queensbury Rules for a long time on this,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

Documents released by the British archives reveal Thatcher as a hard-nosed opponent of Israel's West Bank settlement project.

From The Daily Beast

To me this would demonstrate a hard-nosed determination that all citizens should find frightening.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• hard-boiled
• hardheaded
• no-nonsense
• tough-minded
• uncompromising