From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhard-nosedˌhard-ˈnosed adjective [usually before noun] EMOTIONALnot affected by emotions, and determined to get what you want a hard-nosed businessman
Examples from the Corpus
hard-nosed• Breeding programs for apes are a failure, and even hard-nosed experimenters will be turning the tide.• The book is certainly authoritative but may well daunt the uncommitted reader by its relentlessly hard-nosed factuality.• Philadelphia, which has a reputation for manufacturing tough, hard-nosed fighters.• Or the hard-nosed, insistent, tough approach.• a hard-nosed negotiator• Holbrooke has a justified reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator.• For some one who worked in what she believed to be such a hard-nosed profession he retained a sensitive streak.• To be very hard-nosed there is also a vested interest in running an efficient information service for a band.• There will no hard-nosed trade negotiations on this trip. 