die-hard

or die·hard

[ dahy-hahrd ]

/ ˈdaɪˌhɑrd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR die-hard ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like.

adjective

resisting vigorously and stubbornly to the last; stubborn.

Nearby words

die stamping, die to, die with one's boots on, die-cast, die-cutting, die-hard, die-off, dieb. alt., dieb. secund., dieb. tert., dieback

Origin of die-hard

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

Related forms

die-hard·ism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for die-hard

Merlino says she first noticed him on her Facebook feed and quickly became a die-hard Kohrs fan.
Castro Street’s Hot Cop Is the Batman to Sexy Mug Shot Guy’s Joker|Itay Hod|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bush, Carney said, could expand the pool of primary voters beyond the die-hard conservatives.
Tea Party to Jeb Bush: Don’t Tread On Us|David Freedlander|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Die-hard fans will be happy to see that the episodes are filmed in a similar home garage in Maron.
Meet Marc Maron: the Comedic Podcast Giant on His New IFC Show & More|Jean Trinh|May 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He describes watching the 1968 election with Artie Zeller, “a die-hard Democrat, liberal, and total atheist.”
Speed Read Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Total Recall’: the 11 Juiciest Bits|Luke Kerr-Dineen|October 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST

He is a doctor specializing in kidney disease, and a “die-hard” Packers, Brewers, and Bucks fan.
Wisconsin’s Ralph Nader—Will Hari Trivedi Save Scott Walker?|Caitlin Dickson|June 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
All eyes turned to the old "Die-Hard" Battalion which had now proved its mettle on land and sea.
With the "Die-Hards" in Siberia|John Ward
I'll direct you the road, and if you're lucky you'll find a Die-Hard about the village.
Huntingtower|John Buchan
The obedient Die-Hard disappeared, and Dickson painfully and laboriously set himself to climb the slope.
Huntingtower|John Buchan
A celestial Die-hard, sir, paid to join together again those whom man have put asunder.
Another Sheaf|John Galsworthy
Like the orpine, it was a veritable "live-long," or as the politicians say, "die-hard."
The Call of the Wildflower|Henry S. Salt

British Dictionary definitions for die-hard

die-hard

noun

a person who resists change or who holds onto an untenable position or outdated attitude

(modifier) obstinately resistant to change

Derived Forms

die-hardism, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012