hard-ass

US/ˈhɑɹdæs/

adjective

Tough, uncompromising and inflexible.

“Hopefully you don't take such a hard-ass approach as this.”

OriginEnglish hard ← Middle English hard ← Old English heard →
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Meanings

adjectivehard-ass (comparative more hard-ass, superlative most hard-ass)

comparative more hard-ass · superlative most hard-ass · alternative hardass · alternative hard-arse · alternative hardarse

  1. slangvulgarTough, uncompromising and inflexible.

    Hopefully you don't take such a hard-ass approach as this.

nounhard-ass (plural hard-asses)

plural hard-asses · alternative hardass · alternative hard-arse · alternative hardarse

  1. slangvulgarA tough and combative person.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
hard casehardcunt

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kret-der.?
  2. Proto-Germanic*harduz
  3. Proto-West Germanic*hard(ī)
  4. Old Englishheard
  5. Middle Englishhard
  6. Englishhard
  7. Englishhard-ass

From hard + -ass.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hard-ass. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard-ass

MLA

“hard-ass.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard-ass. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hard-ass,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard-ass.

Source: hard-ass on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.