How to pronounce hard-nosed
American English pronunciation
hard-NOHZD
- IPA
- /ˌhɑɹdˈnoʊzd/
- Syllables
- hard · NOHZD (2 syllables, stress on the 2nd)
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What hard-nosed means
Tough and coolly practical, not swayed by feelings
In a sentence: The hard-nosed shop owner would not lower her price, no matter how nicely we asked.
Where it comes from: It joins hard and nosed. It first described things with a hard, tough tip, and later came to mean tough, practical people.
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