"hardball" meaning in All languages combined

See hardball on Wiktionary

Adjective [English]

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-hardball.wav Forms: more hardball [comparative], most hardball [superlative]
Etymology: From hard + ball. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|hard|ball}} hard + ball Head templates: {{en-adj}} hardball (comparative more hardball, superlative most hardball)
  1. Being or exhibiting tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business. Derived forms: play hardball Translations (Translations): duro (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-hardball-en-adj-YkOtb2kL

Noun [English]

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-hardball.wav Forms: hardballs [plural]
Etymology: From hard + ball. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|hard|ball}} hard + ball Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} hardball (countable and uncountable, plural hardballs)
  1. (ball games) In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-hardball-en-noun-NfXgqEPs Categories (other): Ball games, English entries with incorrect language header, English retronyms, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 34 46 10 10 Disambiguation of English retronyms: 28 48 9 14 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 30 41 11 18 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 38 47 6 9 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 35 52 5 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 22 58 8 13 Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports
  2. Tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-hardball-en-noun-eRMjOQiS
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: hardballer

Verb [English]

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-hardball.wav Forms: hardballs [present, singular, third-person], hardballing [participle, present], hardballed [participle, past], hardballed [past]
Etymology: From hard + ball. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|hard|ball}} hard + ball Head templates: {{en-verb}} hardball (third-person singular simple present hardballs, present participle hardballing, simple past and past participle hardballed)
  1. (informal, transitive) To exhibit tough and ruthless behavior towards another individual. Tags: informal, transitive
    Sense id: en-hardball-en-verb-XmPEmoUt

Inflected forms

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  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hardballer"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hard",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "hard + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hard + ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hardballs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "hardball (countable and uncountable, plural hardballs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Ball games",
          "orig": "en:Ball games",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 46 10 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 48 9 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English retronyms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 41 11 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 47 6 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 52 5 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 58 8 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball."
      ],
      "id": "en-hardball-en-noun-NfXgqEPs",
      "links": [
        [
          "ball game",
          "ball game"
        ],
        [
          "baseball",
          "baseball"
        ],
        [
          "game",
          "game"
        ],
        [
          "softball",
          "softball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ball games) In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business."
      ],
      "id": "en-hardball-en-noun-eRMjOQiS",
      "links": [
        [
          "Tough",
          "tough"
        ],
        [
          "ruthless",
          "ruthless"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ],
        [
          "combat",
          "combat"
        ],
        [
          "politics",
          "politics"
        ],
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-hardball.wav",
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    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hardball"
  ],
  "word": "hardball"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hard",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "hard + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hard + ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more hardball",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most hardball",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hardball (comparative more hardball, superlative most hardball)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "play hardball"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Being or exhibiting tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business."
      ],
      "id": "en-hardball-en-adj-YkOtb2kL",
      "links": [
        [
          "tough",
          "tough"
        ],
        [
          "ruthless",
          "ruthless"
        ],
        [
          "combat",
          "combat"
        ],
        [
          "politics",
          "politics"
        ],
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "duro"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hardball"
  ],
  "word": "hardball"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hard",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "hard + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hard + ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hardballs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hardballing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hardballed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hardballed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hardball (third-person singular simple present hardballs, present participle hardballing, simple past and past participle hardballed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To exhibit tough and ruthless behavior towards another individual."
      ],
      "id": "en-hardball-en-verb-XmPEmoUt",
      "links": [
        [
          "exhibit",
          "exhibit"
        ],
        [
          "tough",
          "tough"
        ],
        [
          "ruthless",
          "ruthless"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ],
        [
          "towards",
          "towards"
        ],
        [
          "individual",
          "individual"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, transitive) To exhibit tough and ruthless behavior towards another individual."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-hardball.wav",
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    }
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  "wikipedia": [
    "hardball"
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}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English retronyms",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "hardballer"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hard",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "hard + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hard + ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hardballs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "hardball (countable and uncountable, plural hardballs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Ball games"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ball game",
          "ball game"
        ],
        [
          "baseball",
          "baseball"
        ],
        [
          "game",
          "game"
        ],
        [
          "softball",
          "softball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ball games) In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Tough",
          "tough"
        ],
        [
          "ruthless",
          "ruthless"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ],
        [
          "combat",
          "combat"
        ],
        [
          "politics",
          "politics"
        ],
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
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    }
  ],
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{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English retronyms",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "play hardball"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hard",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "hard + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hard + ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more hardball",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most hardball",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hardball (comparative more hardball, superlative most hardball)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Being or exhibiting tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tough",
          "tough"
        ],
        [
          "ruthless",
          "ruthless"
        ],
        [
          "combat",
          "combat"
        ],
        [
          "politics",
          "politics"
        ],
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-hardball.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/28/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-hardball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-hardball.wav.mp3",
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    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "duro"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hardball"
  ],
  "word": "hardball"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English retronyms",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hard",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "hard + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hard + ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hardballs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hardballing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hardballed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hardballed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hardball (third-person singular simple present hardballs, present participle hardballing, simple past and past participle hardballed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To exhibit tough and ruthless behavior towards another individual."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "exhibit",
          "exhibit"
        ],
        [
          "tough",
          "tough"
        ],
        [
          "ruthless",
          "ruthless"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ],
        [
          "towards",
          "towards"
        ],
        [
          "individual",
          "individual"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, transitive) To exhibit tough and ruthless behavior towards another individual."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-hardball.wav",
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    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "hardball"
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  "word": "hardball"
}

Download raw JSONL data for hardball meaning in All languages combined (5.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-05-24 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-20 using wiktextract (5d527b9 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.