Crossword Genius

Hard villains finally cheated in hearing (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

strict

'hard' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

I can't explain the remainder of the clue.

(Other definitions for strict that I've seen before include "Demanding that rules are observed" , "Exact, rigorous" , "Not lenient or indulgent" , "Excessive pride" , "Uncompromising in discipline" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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