Standard Lemma guide

hardheaded

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: HH AA1 R D HH EH2 D IH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Stubborn; wilful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adamant, ardent, grim, bent on, bloody-minded, bullheaded, certain, chronic, confirmed, determined, diehard, dogged, hard-hearted, hard-nosed, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, incalcitrant, inflexible, irrefragable, insistent, intractable, intransigent, intrepid, inveterate, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, obstreperous, peevish, peremptory, persistent, pertinacious, pigheaded, recalcitrant, refractory, resolute, resolved, rigid, self-willed, stalwart, staunch, steadfast, steady, stubborn, stubborn as a mule, sullen, tenacious, terminal, thran, thwart, tough, truculent, unbending, uncompromising, unyielding, vehement, wilful, willful

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Realistic; pragmatic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a hardheaded appraisal of our position
  • a hard-nosed labor leader
  • completely practical in his approach to business
  • not ideology but pragmatic politics

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hard-nosed, practical, pragmatic

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

unreasonably rigid in the face of argument or entreaty or attack

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mulish

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From hard + headed. First appears c. mid-15th century in the writings of Osbern Bokenam.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: твърдоглав (tvǎrdoglav) — stubborn
  • Czech: tvrdohlavý — stubborn
  • Dutch: koppig — stubborn
  • French: têtu — stubborn
  • Indonesian: keras kepala — stubborn
  • Japanese: 頭が固い (atama ga katai) — stubborn
  • Japanese: 頑固 (ganko) — stubborn
  • Macedonian: твр́доглав (tvŕdoglav) — stubborn
  • Portuguese: cabeçudo — stubborn
  • Spanish: terco — stubborn
  • Spanish: cabezadura — stubborn
  • Spanish: porfiado — stubborn
  • Swedish: envis — stubborn
  • Tagalog: tigas ng ulo — stubborn
  • Bulgarian: практичен (praktičen) — pragmatic
  • Dutch: pragmatisch — pragmatic
  • Manx: creeney — pragmatic
  • Spanish: pragmático — pragmatic
  • Swedish: nykter — pragmatic
  • Swedish: kall — pragmatic
  • Swedish: beräknande — pragmatic