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
• adamantly
  adverb
• unadamant
  adjective

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

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

Though there’s something a little peculiar, in an age of digital verisimilitude, about watching a big-budget movie character scoot around like a Muppet, Favreau was adamant about showcasing the handiwork.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

He was adamant that this language doesn’t stop discounts entirely, and they can still reach the right audiences.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

Sheinbaum has also been adamant that works on the Azteca stadium in Mexico City and the capital's international airport will be concluded in time.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

While the possibility remains that hostilities could flare up again in the Persian Gulf, Haefele is adamant that gradual de-escalation is ongoing, citing President President Trump’s assertion that a cease fire is still in effect.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

They were thinking of the moment in the adamant tower when that sparklike idea had flashed between them.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

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