die-hard

or die·hard

[ dahy-hahrd ]

noun

1. a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like.

adjective

1. resisting vigorously and stubbornly to the last; stubborn.

die-hard

noun

1. a person who resists change or who holds onto an untenable position or outdated attitude
2. modifier obstinately resistant to change

Derived Forms

• ˈdie-ˌhardism, noun

Other Words From

• die-hardism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of die-hard¹

First recorded in 1835–45; noun, adj. use of verb phrase die hard

Idioms and Phrases

Take a long time to cease to exist or be dropped from consideration. For example, Old prejudices die hard , or The more radical parts of this proposal will die hard . This idiom alludes to struggling against physical death. [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

That was made official last week when Chinese authorities launched a website identifying Taiwanese public figures deemed “die hard” separatists.

From BBC

“But old habits die hard, and the thought of a ‘final score’ kept him up at night,” DeKrey wrote.

From Seattle Times

That said, old tropes die hard, and this one — the hapless son who’s been emotionally mangled by a monster mother — has been entrenched in movies and television for close to 75 years.

From New York Times

Old habits died hard — goalies often ventured into the forbidden blue paint.

From Seattle Times

"At first, Terry declined the invitation to participate in the heist. But old habits die hard, and the thought of a 'final score' kept him up at night," Mr DeKrey wrote.

From BBC

Related Words

• abide
• combat
• confront
• continue
• curb
• defy
• endure
• forgo
• maintain
• prevent
• refuse
• repel
• thwart
• turn down