- a variation of die-hard.
diehard
Americanadjective
noun
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:
The branding has worked wonders for the studio’s reputation, leading diehard loyalists to conflate the production-and-distribution company with the art it finances — resulting in capsule collections of merch flying off the digital shelves.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 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
Indeed, thanks to this stylish YouTube video, diehards can spend an entire workday listening to eight hours of remixes by the electronic duo ODESZA.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025
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
The fallout from England's dismal exit was loud among the diehards but outside of that?
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2025
Her shows are filled with repeat diehards and locally tailored, including personal roasts of audiences in each city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2024
Any diehards staying home should have an axe, in case they needed to chop through their attic to reach the roof.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
