die-hard
or die·hard
[dahy-hahrd]
- a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like.
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- resisting vigorously and stubbornly to the last; stubborn.
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Origin of die-hard
First recorded in 1835–45; noun, adj. use of verb phrase die hard
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
ultraconservativeunreconstructedold-lineconservativeconvinceddyed-in-the-woolextremistfirmimmovableinflexibleintransigentorthodoxreactionaryrightPhilistinetraditionalisticTorystandpatExamples from the Web for die-hard
Contemporary Examples
Merlino says she first noticed him on her Facebook feed and quickly became a die-hard Kohrs fan.
Bush, Carney said, could expand the pool of primary voters beyond the die-hard conservatives.
Die-hard fans will be happy to see that the episodes are filmed in a similar home garage in Maron.
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 BitsLuke Kerr-Dineen
October 2, 2012
He is a doctor specializing in kidney disease, and a “die-hard” Packers, Brewers, and Bucks fan.
Historical Examples
Like the orpine, it was a veritable "live-long," or as the politicians say, "die-hard."
The Call of the WildflowerHenry S. Salt
I'll direct you the road, and if you're lucky you'll find a Die-Hard about the village.
HuntingtowerJohn Buchan
A celestial Die-hard, sir, paid to join together again those whom man have put asunder.
Another SheafJohn Galsworthy
The obedient Die-Hard disappeared, and Dickson painfully and laboriously set himself to climb the slope.
HuntingtowerJohn Buchan
All eyes turned to the old "Die-Hard" Battalion which had now proved its mettle on land and sea.
With the "Die-Hards" in SiberiaJohn Ward
die-hard
- a person who resists change or who holds onto an untenable position or outdated attitude
- (modifier) obstinately resistant to change
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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