hard-driving

adjective

hard-driv·​ing ˈhär(d)-ˈdrī-viŋ How to pronounce hard-driving (audio)
: intensely ambitious, energetic, or hardworking

Examples of hard-driving in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Belichick was notoriously stony and hard-driving, with a conservative play-calling approach; Saban was dynamic and fiery. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2024 Jacques Delors, a hard-driving French politician who as the European Union’s executive for a decade became the chief architect of a more unified Europe and the father of Europe’s common currency, the euro, died on Wednesday at his home in Paris. Paul Lewis, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2023 The larger-than-life characters who become celebrity CEOs in Silicon Valley are sometimes tech wizards and sometimes hard-driving business builders, but always the focus of intense debates about their goals, motives and methods. Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023 Simmons won an Oscar for his portrayal of the hard-driving music professor in Damien Chazelle’s acclaimed drama Whiplash, one of the actor’s many accolades for the role. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2023 So hard-driving hunters like Ms. Siewe, 46, who until 2019 sold real estate in Indiana, have struck out on their own, becoming full-time guides who teach newbies how to find and euthanize Burmese pythons. Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 McLain, who is represented by hard-driving agent Scott Boras, wanted $3 million. Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 26 Aug. 2023 The result is an occasionally awkward mix of gentle mystery and hard-driving suspense, but the easy camaraderie and lush descriptions paper over any plot holes. Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023 The song, previously recorded by the Gaither Vocal Band, was written by Bill and Gloria as well as Benjamin Gaither and Kim Williams, and pays tribute to the influence of both a hard-driving, uncompromising father and a soft-hearted mother. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 31 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-driving.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-driving was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near hard-driving

Cite this Entry

“Hard-driving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-driving. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hard-driving

adjective
hard-driv·​ing
ˈhärd-ˈdrī-viŋ
: extremely ambitious, energetic, or hardworking
a hard-driving salesperson
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