hard-boiled

== English == === Alternative forms === hardboiled, hard boiled === Pronunciation === === Adjective === hard-boiled (comparative more hard-boiled, superlative most hard-boiled) Of a boiled egg, cooked to a solid consistency. Antonyms: runny, soft-boiled (figurative) Of a person, especially a detective, callous and unsentimental. Synonyms: harsh, severe; see also Thesaurus:stern (literature, especially detective fiction, figurative) Written in a laconic, dispassionate, often ironic style for a realistic, unsentimental effect. ==== Derived terms ==== === Verb === hard-boiled simple past and past participle of hard-boil ==== Translations ==== ==== Further reading ==== hard-boiled on Wikipedia.Wikipedia