hard-nosed
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Practical and realistic; guided by experience and observation rather than theory or emotion: Describes a person, attitude, or approach that is tough-minded, unsentimental, and focused on facts and results. 2. Stubbornly uncompromising or tough: Can imply a degree of stubbornness or inflexibility in pursuing practical goals.
Usage
The adjective "hard-nosed" is typically used before a noun to describe a person or their approach. It is often used in business, politics, and management contexts. * It describes a person: a hard-nosed manager, a hard-nosed negotiator. * It describes an attitude or quality: hard-nosed realism, hard-nosed determination. * It describes an approach or policy: a hard-nosed strategy, hard-nosed pragmatism.
Examples
- The company's success is due to the hard-nosed leadership of its CEO, who focuses solely on profitability.
- We need a hard-nosed review of the budget, cutting any project that isn't delivering results.
- She has a reputation as a hard-nosed prosecutor who is difficult to defeat in court.
- His hard-nosed approach to negotiations sometimes offends people, but he always gets the best deal.
Advanced Usage
- "To be hard-nosed about (something)": To be uncompromisingly practical and tough regarding a specific issue.
- The coach is hard-nosed about discipline; any player late for practice is benched.
- The term can sometimes carry a slightly negative connotation, suggesting a lack of empathy or flexibility in the pursuit of practical goals.
Variants and Related Words
- Hardheaded (adjective): Very similar in meaning to "hard-nosed," emphasizing practicality and resistance to persuasion by emotion. ()
- Hard-nosed is a compound adjective. Its components are:
- Hard (adjective): Firm, solid, difficult.
- Nosed (from the noun "nose"): Used figuratively to suggest a quality of character, as in "turning up one's nose" at something (showing disdain).
Synonyms
- Pragmatic: Dealing with things sensibly and realistically based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
- Unsentimental: Not influenced by or showing feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.
- Tough-minded: Strong and determined, not influenced by emotion.
- Realistic: Having a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved or expected.
- Shrewd: Having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute, often in a practical, self-interested way.
Antonyms
- Idealistic: Characterized by idealism; unrealistically aiming for perfection.
- Sentimental: Being influenced by or showing feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.
- Theoretical: Concerned with or involving the theory of a subject or area of study rather than its practical application.
- Naive: Showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
Adjective
- guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory
- a hardheaded appraisal of our position
- a hard-nosed labor leader
- completely practical in his approach to business
- not ideology but pragmatic politics