- a variation of die-hard.
diehard
Americanadjective
noun
-
diehards
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Explanation
A diehard is a person who likes things a certain way and doesn't want them to change — or who sticks to an opinion no matter what. If everyone in your family is a Democrat except your cousin, you might call him a Republican diehard. A diehard will hold fast to her ideas, views, or opinions even in the face of opposition. You could call yourself a diehard if you insist on sticking to the same recipes for Thanksgiving dinner that your grandmother always made, especially if your siblings keep lobbying to add new dishes to the menu. The word diehard dates from the 19th century, and it originally referred to a tough soldier in a certain British Army regiment.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Sheriff’s deputies had to force a few diehard gamblers away from their games at a casino in Commerce.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
"Before we could even represent Curacao on such a big stage, for decades a large part have been diehard fans of the Dutch team," said De Jong.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
They include rabid Ukrainian patriots, political agnostics and diehard Russophiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Steve Hicks said he was a Trump supporter but not a diehard.
From Slate ● May 19, 2026
Its biggest tune, ‘Nessun dorma’, was incredibly popular, not just with a few diehard fans but rather with just about everyone who heard it.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
The diehards chase the rarities, Springsteen changes songs in and out as the spirit moves him, and there was one tour where he took requests via sign from the audience.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
Even something as convincing as “Leaving Neverland” couldn’t dissuade diehards from their king.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Earlier this month, Mamdani dropped by the Throwing Fits show, a podcast produced by a pair of menswear diehards, where the discourse usually centers around vintage windbreakers, not transit policy.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2025
However, the better fans get to know their favorite players as personalities, the easier for the league to broaden its appeal beyond the diehards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
But hiking has always been a marginal pursuit in America, and within a few years the AT was once more largely forgotten except among a few diehards and eccentrics.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
