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hard-bitten

adjective
 
 
/ˌhɑːdˈbɪt.ən/ US  /ˌhɑːrdˈbɪt̬-/

Definition

If someone is hard-bitten, their character has been made stronger as a result of difficult experiences in the past, and they control and do not show their emotions: This particular murder case was so horrific that it shocked even the most hard-bitten of New York police officers.Not showing or feeling emotionsControlling emotions
(Definition of hard-bitten adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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