ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ adjective
Etymology: hard (II) + boiled
1. : boiled until both white and yolk have solidified — used of an egg
2. : heavily starched : stiff
wore a double-breasted, dark suit and a collar …; it was one of those hard-boiled old-timers — F.C.Othman
— compare boiled shirt
3.
a. : devoid of sentimentality or weakness : callous , tough
I, a hard-boiled South Sea trader, was genuinely shocked — Atlantic
hard-boiled politicians
a hard-boiled outfit under a hard-boiled leader — E.J.Fitzgerald
b. : of or relating to a literary form or production characterized by impersonal matter-of-fact presentation of naturalistic or violent themes or incidents, by a generally unemotional or stoic tone, and often by a total absence of explicit or implied moral judgments
the hard-boiled tradition of detective fiction — John Paterson
the novels of the hard-boiled school — George Stevens
c. : down-to-earth , practical , hardheaded , realistic
from the hardest-boiled examination of the American system, this is a blueprint for disaster — A.A.Berle
handle aid programs on a friendly but hard-boiled business basis — New York Times
a fundamentally hard-boiled permanently businesslike people — Times Literary Supplement