die-hard
or die·hard
[ dahy-hahrd ]
/ ˈdaɪˌhɑrd /
noun
a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like.
adjective
resisting vigorously and stubbornly to the last; stubborn.
Origin of die-hard
First recorded in 1835–45; noun, adj. use of verb phrase
die hard
OTHER WORDS FROM die-hard
die-hard·ism, nounDefinition for diehard (2 of 2)
die
1
[ dahy ]
/ daɪ /
verb (used without object), died, dy·ing.
Verb Phrases
synonym study for die
1.
Die,
pass away (
pass on;
pass ),
perish mean to relinquish life.
To die is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity:
An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies.
Pass away (or
pass on or
pass ) is a commonly used euphemism implying a continuation of life after death:
Grandfather passed away (
passed on or
passed ).
Perish, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively,
perish connotes utter extinction:
Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH die
die dyeExample sentences from the Web for diehard
British Dictionary definitions for diehard (1 of 3)
die-hard
noun
a person who resists change or who holds onto an untenable position or outdated attitude
(modifier)
obstinately resistant to change
Derived forms of die-hard
die-hardism, nounBritish Dictionary definitions for diehard (2 of 3)
die
1
/ (daɪ) /
verb dies, dying or died (mainly intr)
Word Origin for die
Old English
dīegan, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse
deyja, Old High German
touwen
usage for die
It was formerly considered incorrect to use the preposition
from after
die, but
of and
from are now both acceptable:
he died of/from his injuries
British Dictionary definitions for diehard (3 of 3)
die
2
/ (daɪ) /
noun
Word Origin for die
C13
dee, from Old French
de, perhaps from Vulgar Latin
datum (unattested) a piece in games, noun use of past participle of Latin
dare to play
Medical definitions for diehard
die
[ dī ]
v.
To cease living; become dead; expire.
To cease existing, especially by degrees; fade.
Idioms and Phrases with diehard
die