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

"I'd say I'm fairly hard-nosed about stuff. When you're involved in sport, I think you do develop that resilience over years of training and the different setbacks you meet in sport."

From BBC

In her Telegraph article, Badenoch sets out what she calls a "hard-nosed" policy on immigration.

From BBC

It ended up being dependent on a hard-nosed US lender while waiting for government support that never materialised.

From BBC

That was one case in which Ticketmaster’s hard-nosed competitive policies led to a wave of consumer discontent.

From Los Angeles Times

But she was beleaguered by whispered criticism from anonymous sources of her management style, which grated on the hard-nosed veterans at the network.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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