as in idiot
a stupid person
a hardhead who has to learn every life lesson the hard way
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Recent Examples of hardhead
Her husband, something of a hardhead, would certainly listen to this guy.
—
New York Times, 28 July 2021
Beijing’s hardheads know the coronavirus has compounded the damage to China’s economy from earlier domestic policy settings hostile to the private sector, and from the trade war with America.
—The Economist, 15 Apr. 2020
And there might have been a hardhead or two landed as well.
—Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, 14 Apr. 2018
Cops are empiricist hardheads prone to mystical hunch.
—James Ellroy, Vanities, 7 Oct. 2017
Mark your calendars, HARDheads, and check the teaser trailer below.
—Kat Bein, Billboard, 9 June 2017
New York Times, 28 July 2021
Beijing’s hardheads know the coronavirus has compounded the damage to China’s economy from earlier domestic policy settings hostile to the private sector, and from the trade war with America.
—The Economist, 15 Apr. 2020
And there might have been a hardhead or two landed as well.
—Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, 14 Apr. 2018
Cops are empiricist hardheads prone to mystical hunch.
—James Ellroy, Vanities, 7 Oct. 2017
Mark your calendars, HARDheads, and check the teaser trailer below.
—Kat Bein, Billboard, 9 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardhead
Noun
-
The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
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Overwhelmingly, though, the most common response was to seek confirmation of their suspicions that Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were morons.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There is nothing in the past year that suggests that the portion of this global event that will take place in the U.S. will proceed with anything less than exhausting chaos, a spoonful of stupid, and a dash of tragedy.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Jan. 2026
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And then, the rest of her life, filled with big stupids and everything else, will begin.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardhead. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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