Hard-Headed

Also:

hardheaded
hard head

Meaning of Idiom ‘Hard-Headed’

1. To be hard-headed usually means to be stubborn and inflexible; to not be willing to change one’s opinion or position; to be extremely willful. ¹, ²

2. Clever and shrewd; practical; realistic; not overly influenced by emotions. ³

In addition to being hard-headed, one can also be said to “have a hard head.” This variation of the idiom carries the same meaning: “Marry is hard-headed when it comes to her children’s education” means the same as “Marry has a hard head when it comes to her children’s education.”

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Sentence Examples

“Our son is so hard-headed about certain things. He’s now insisting that he wants to travel to Europe for a year before college.”

“Stop being so hardheaded,” said Parker to Dana. “You are too sick to be out of bed.”

“You shouldn’t get a bulldog. They are known for being hard-headed.”

“The hard-headed businessman is no longer seen in such a flattering light. Today, people expect a business to have a heart.”

“He got his start in business the old-fashioned way and is still as hard-headed and penny-pinching as ever.”

Origin

This idiom has been used since the late 1800s. The earliest meaning is the second one, similar to the definition given in the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia (1906):

“Shrewd; intelligent or clearheaded and firm; not easily deceived or humbugged: as a hard-headed politician.”

In those days, to be hard-headed was to be sensible and practical. Similar to many idioms where the head refers to the mind, the idiom seems to suggest a firm and sound mind. Today, it is more often used to mean stubborn and inflexible; not open-minded.

25 Body Parts Idioms | Idioms Online Video

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More Idioms Starting with H

• Hell of a Note
• Hocus-Pocus
• Happy as the Day is Long
• Half in the Bag
• Have Something Out

More Body Part Idioms

• Go Belly Up
• Stand On Someone’s Shoulders
• In One’s Face
• Give Someone the Cold Shoulder
• Know Something Like the Back Of One’s Hand

More Hard Idioms

• No Hard Feelings
• Tough Nut to Crack, a
• Hard Copy
• Cold, Hard Cash
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place

More Head Idioms

• Have Something Hanging Over Your Head
• Running Around Like a Chicken With its Head Cut Off
• Off the Top Of My Head
• Hit the Nail On the Head
• Head Of The Class
• Hang One’s Head
• Go To Someone’s Head

References

1. Brenner, Gail Abel. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook. Wiley, 2003.
2. ”hardheaded.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 26 Sep. 2018 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hardheaded
3. Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth M.  The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms. Ware: Wordsworth, 1995.