hard-boiled

[ hahrd-boild ]

adjective

1. Cooking. (of an egg) boiled boil in the shell long enough for the yolk and white to solidify.
2. Informal. tough; unsentimental:

   a hard-boiled vice-squad detective.

3. marked by a direct, clear-headed approach; realistic:

   a hard-boiled appraisal of the foreign situation.

4. (of detective fiction) written in a laconic, dispassionate, often ironic style for a realistic, unsentimental effect.

hard-boiled

adjective

1. (of an egg) boiled until the yolk and white are solid
2. informal.
   1. tough, realistic
   2. cynical

Other Words From

• hard-boiledness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hard-boiled¹

1715–25; 1895–80 hard-boiled fordef 2; hard + boiled

Example Sentences

I imagine that when you imagine a TV critic, you picture some hard-boiled, crusty, even heartless type.

From Los Angeles Times

My grandmother used to make these little, savory turnovers with meat inside and chopped-up hard-boiled eggs.

From Salon

Lange, known for his hard-boiled mysteries, has penned a dangerous noir romance.

From Los Angeles Times

While Hollywood’s film noir golden age peaked in a postwar America that welcomed cynical detectives and wise-guy crooks, today’s hard-boiled crime stories continue to find an audience.

From Los Angeles Times

She and the others stand in Collect Pond Park, sharing chocolates and hard-boiled eggs.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• hard-nosed