Trivia Time

In Greek mythology, what famous weapon was described as being made of adamant?

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adamant

American  

[ad-uh-muhnt, -mant] / ˈæd ə mənt, -ˌmænt /

adjective

1. utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc.

   Synonyms:

   uncompromising, rigid, inflexible

   Antonyms:

   yielding, easygoing, flexible

2. too hard to cut, break, or pierce.

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noun

1. any impenetrably or unyieldingly hard substance.

2. a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness, formerly sometimes identified with the diamond.

adamant British  

/ ˈædəmənt /

adjective

1. unshakable in purpose, determination, or opinion; unyielding

2. a less common word for adamantine

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noun

1. any extremely hard or apparently unbreakable substance

2. a legendary stone said to be impenetrable, often identified with the diamond or loadstone

Other Word Forms

• adamance
  noun
• adamancy
  noun
• unadamant
  adjective
• adamantly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of adamant

First recorded before 900; Middle English, from Old French adamaunt, from Latin adamant- (stem of adamas ) “hard metal (perhaps steel), diamond,” from Greek, equivalent to a- a- ⁶ + -damant- verbal adjective of damân “to tame, conquer”; replacing Old English athamans (from Medieval Latin ) and Middle English aymont, from Middle French aimant, from unattested Vulgar Latin adimant-, from Latin

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Explanation

If you stubbornly refuse to change your mind about something, you are adamant about it. This word's story begins in ancient Greece, where philosophers spoke about a legendary unbreakable stone or metal they called adamas (literally, "invincible"). In English, people began to use the word to refer to something that cannot be altered, and then in the twentieth century — after adamant had been in English for about a thousand years — it came to be used as an adjective to mean "unyielding as stone." If you're adamant about something, no amount of persuasion is going to convince you otherwise.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adamant

But greengrocer Mohamed Hassan was adamant: "I see this as a victory for the Somali people... those willing to participate should proceed, and whoever wins should lead the country."

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

It took me a few weeks to get to the bottom of this but, once I confronted him, he was adamant that his routine suited his lifestyle.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

My brother-in-law, however, was adamant that he did not want to sell the house to us.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

Bonta was adamant that a settlement would require structural changes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Susan Saul was adamant that her voice should be heard as well.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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Related Words

• determined
• insistent
• intransigent
• resolute
• rigid
• stubborn
• uncompromising

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