Meaning & use

hardheaded

adjective·Academic

Practical, shrewd, and not influenced by sentiment or emotion, especially in business or negotiation.

See it in a sentence

Her hardheaded approach to budgeting saved the company from bankruptcy.

He remained hardheaded during negotiations, refusing to accept a lower price.

A note on using this word

Hardheaded can carry a slightly negative shade too, suggesting someone stubborn who resists other people's opinions.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

sentimentalidealistic

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