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 a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like.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 a person who resists change or who holds onto an untenable position or outdated attitude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

The country performer’s stories about music are rife with the minute observations and historical tidbits absorbed and disseminated by die-hard fans.

From Los Angeles Times

Plant people are easy to buy for — and hard too — because the really die-hard gardeners usually want nothing more than their favorite battered clippers and an old table knife for weeding.

From Los Angeles Times

She is part of a network of “die-hard” accounts posting content multiple times every hour in support of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

From BBC

Despite admitting she “can’t falsely claim to be a die-hard goth”, she said the weekend had a “fun atmosphere” and she loved being part of it.

From BBC

Mankeiwicz’s father was a Dodgers fan, and Mankeiwicz grew up in the Pacific Palisades a die-hard fan of the boys in blue.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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