Meaning & use
hardheaded
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Sensible and realistic, judging matters by facts and results instead of feelings.
Grammar: Usually admiring when about decisions: a hardheaded approach.
Patterns
- a hardheaded approach to something
- hardheaded about something
She took a hardheaded look at the budget and cut the projects that lost money.
The investor was hardheaded about risk and never chased trends.
We needed a hardheaded negotiator who would not be swayed by flattery.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Stubborn and unwilling to listen to other people's advice.
Grammar: Used about people and is mildly critical: a hardheaded boy.
Patterns
- hardheaded about something
My hardheaded uncle refused to see a doctor.
Don't be so hardheaded; at least read the instructions.
The hardheaded coach ignored the data and kept the old plan.
Word forms
| comparative | more hardheaded |
|---|---|
| superlative | most hardheaded |
Common combinations
- hardheaded realism
- The plan reflected hardheaded realism about costs.
- hardheaded businessman
- A hardheaded businessman, he never signed without reading everything.
- hardheaded approach
- They took a hardheaded approach to the recovery.
- hardheaded and stubborn
- The mule was hardheaded and stubborn on the steep trail.
- hardheaded about money
- My grandmother was hardheaded about money all her life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pragmatic
- Pragmatic is more neutral and positive, focusing on what works, with no hint of stubbornness.
- stubborn
- Stubborn only describes refusing to change, whereas hardheaded can also praise practical thinking.
- shrewd
- Shrewd emphasizes sharp judgment and cleverness in dealing with people, which hardheaded does not require.
- obstinate
- Obstinate is more formal and entirely negative, matching only the second sense of hardheaded.
Opposites
Word family
- hardheadedly adverb
- in a practical or stubborn way
- hardheadedness noun
- practical firmness or stubbornness
- hard-headed adjective
- alternative spelling with a hyphen
Commonly confused: hardheaded or hardhearted?
hardheaded vs hardhearted
Hardhearted means cold and without pity, while hardheaded means practical or stubborn; the two differ by one body part but not in meaning.
Practice
The manager made a ___ decision to close the unprofitable shop, ignoring the sentimental protests.
Choose one answer.
Hardheaded fits a realistic, fact-based decision. Hardhearted tempts because it sounds similar, but it means cruel rather than practical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hardheaded”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.