hard-assed

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Of a person: having a very difficult personality; being a perfectionist.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “hard-assed” mean?

Of a person: having a very difficult personality; being a perfectionist.

Is “hard-assed” formal or informal?

hard-assed is generally slang.