1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a hard-boiled Puritan schoolmaster who was as unyielding as New England granite
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
made the hard-boiled business decision to downsize the company, thereby costing thousands of longtime employees their jobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard-boiled
In a smaller pot of water over high heat, boil eggs, covered, until just hard-boiled, 7 minutes, then run under cold water.
—
Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-boiled
Adjective
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Related Stories Said to be the first book in a series, Little Hands watches as a young British woman with a mysterious past inadvertently joins a ruthless gang of female thieves who rob the ultra-wealthy along the French Riviera.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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This is because the film, which Anderson both wrote (alongside Roman Coppola) and directed, centers on wealthy business tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), who, thanks to his often ruthless deal-making, has become a frequent target of assassination attempts.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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With the longer battery life, lighter design and smart safety features, this jetpack is definitely for anyone looking to make their underwater adventures more exciting.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2025
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Moreover, waving the flag of a foreign country isn’t prideful, or politically smart in the least.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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The film is cold-bloodedly whimsical, asking the audience to root for a merciless man who endeavors, ever so incrementally, to understand some deeper human truths.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
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Unless stopped, Trump and the Republicans who follow him may go down as the most merciless and morally bankrupt leaders this country has ever produced.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Flash mobs in the Loop are a real problem demanding hardheaded solutions.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2025
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British officials know this and sometimes despair that their country has not found a way to be more hardheaded.—
Sam Knight,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The 51-year-old is widely considered one of the most astute tacticians in the Premier League and has been the figurehead of one of the smartest, shrewdest clubs anywhere in European soccer for the last seven years.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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It should be noted that Bouchard was an astute draft selection by Chiarelli and his scouts in 2018.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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As a result of a global economic slowdown, communication agencies are getting savvy in how to marshal their resources.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
9 June 2025
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Ideally, these tools could be used by savvy consumers to give themselves a little more liquidity while buying big-ticket items within their budget.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Meteorologist Adam Krueger has become known as Weather Adam for his shrewd ability to incorporate song lyrics into his energetic weather reports.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
6 June 2025
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Earlier this spring, Johnson talked openly about pushing Swift to combine his sharp vision with shrewd discipline.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The withdrawal, and the chaos that accompanied it, drew sharp criticism from many Americans.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
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And then there’s the funny, sharp and deeply ironic montages of Lucy’s clients.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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