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die-hard

or die·hard

[dahy-hahrd]
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noun
  1. a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like.
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adjective
  1. 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
Related formsdie-hard·ism, noun

die1

[dahy]
verb (used without object), died, dy·ing.
  1. to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead.
  2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist: The laughter died on his lips.
  3. to lose force, strength, or active qualities: Superstitions die slowly.
  4. to cease to function; stop: The motor died.
  5. to be no longer subject; become indifferent: to die to worldly matters.
  6. to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually followed by away, out, or down): The storm slowly died down.
  7. Theology. to lose spiritual life.
  8. to faint or languish.
  9. to suffer as if fatally: I'm dying of boredom!
  10. to pine with desire, love, longing, etc.: I'm dying to see my home again.
  11. to desire or want keenly or greatly: I'm dying for a cup of coffee.
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Verb Phrases
  1. die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease: The hoofbeats gradually died away.
  2. die down, to become calm or quiet; subside.
  3. die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced: Her friends are dying off.
  4. die out,
    1. to cease to exist; become extinct: Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.
    2. to die away; fade; subside: The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.
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Idioms
  1. die hard,
    1. to die only after a bitter struggle.
    2. to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty: Childhood beliefs die hard.
  2. die standing up, Theater. (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.
  3. never say die, never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.
  4. to die for, stunning; remarkable: That dress is to die for.
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Origin of die1

1150–1200; Middle English dien, deien < Old Norse deyja. Cf. dead, death
Can be confuseddie dye

Synonyms

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1. expire, depart.

Synonym study

1. Die, pass away ( pass on; pass ), perish mean to relinquish life. To die is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity: An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies. Pass away (or pass on or pass ) is a commonly used euphemism implying a continuation of life after death: Grandfather passed away ( passed on or passed ). Perish, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively, perish connotes utter extinction: Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

zealot, fanatic, fundamentalist, pullback, right, reactionary, praetorian, ultraconservative, fogy, extremist, stick-in-the-mud, rightist, mossback, Tory, bourbon, dyed-in-the-wool, intransigent, standpat, standpatter

Examples from the Web for diehard

Contemporary Examples

British Dictionary definitions for diehard

die-hard

noun
  1. a person who resists change or who holds onto an untenable position or outdated attitude
  2. (modifier) obstinately resistant to change
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Derived Formsdie-hardism, noun

die1

verb dies, dying or died (mainly intr)
  1. (of an organism or its cells, organs, etc) to cease all biological activity permanentlyshe died of pneumonia
  2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist; come to an endthe memory of her will never die
  3. (often foll by away, down, or out) to lose strength, power, or energy, esp by degrees
  4. (often foll by away or down) to become calm or quiet; subsidethe noise slowly died down
  5. to stop functioningthe engine died
  6. to languish or pine, as with love, longing, etc
  7. (usually foll by of) informal to be nearly overcome (with laughter, boredom, etc)
  8. theol to lack spiritual life within the soul, thus separating it from God and leading to eternal punishment
  9. (tr) to undergo or suffer (a death of a specified kind) (esp in phrases such as die a saintly death)
  10. (foll by to) to become indifferent or apathetic (to)to die to the world
  11. never say die informal never give up
  12. die hard to cease to exist after resistance or a struggleold habits die hard
  13. die in harness to die while still working or active, prior to retirement
  14. be dying (foll by for or an infinitive) to be eager or desperate (for something or to do something)I'm dying to see the new house
  15. to die for informal highly desirablea salary to die for
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See also dieback, die down, die out

Word Origin

Old English dīegan, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse deyja, Old High German touwen

usage

It was formerly considered incorrect to use the preposition from after die, but of and from are now both acceptable: he died of/from his injuries

die2

noun
    1. a shaped block of metal or other hard material used to cut or form metal in a drop forge, press, or similar device
    2. a tool of metal, silicon carbide, or other hard material with a conical hole through which wires, rods, or tubes are drawn to reduce their diameter
  2. an internally-threaded tool for cutting external threadsCompare tap 2 (def. 6)
  3. a casting mould giving accurate dimensions and a good surface to the object castSee also die-cast
  4. architect the dado of a pedestal, usually cubic
  5. another name for dice (def. 2)
  6. as straight as a die perfectly honest
  7. the die is cast the decision that commits a person irrevocably to an action has been taken
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Word Origin

C13 dee, from Old French de, perhaps from Vulgar Latin datum (unattested) a piece in games, noun use of past participle of Latin dare to play
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

Word Origin and History for diehard

also die-hard, 1844 (n.), in reference to the 57th Regiment of Foot in the British Army; as an adjective, attested from 1871; from die (v.) + hard (adv.). As a brand name of an automobile battery, DieHard, introduced by Sears in 1967.

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die

v.

mid-12c., possibly from Old Danish døja or Old Norse deyja "to die, pass away," both from Proto-Germanic *dawjanan (cf. Old Frisian deja "to kill," Old Saxon doian, Old High German touwen, Gothic diwans "mortal"), from PIE root *dheu- (3) "to pass away, become senseless" (cf. Old Irish dith "end, death," Old Church Slavonic daviti, Russian davit' "to choke, suffer").

It has been speculated that Old English had *diegan, from the same source, but it is not in any of the surviving texts and the preferred words were steorfan (see starve), sweltan (see swelter), wesan dead, also forðgan and other euphemisms.

Languages usually don't borrow words from abroad for central life experiences, but "die" words are an exception, because they are often hidden or changed euphemistically out of superstitious dread. A Dutch euphemism translates as "to give the pipe to Maarten." Regularly spelled dege through 15c., and still pronounced "dee" by some in Lancashire and Scotland. Used figuratively (of sounds, etc.) from 1580s. Related: Died; dies.

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die

n.

early 14c. (as a plural, late 14c. as a singular), from Old French de "die, dice," of uncertain origin. Common Romanic (cf. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian dado, Provençal dat, Catalan dau), perhaps from Latin datum "given," past participle of dare (see date (n.1)), which, in addition to "give," had a secondary sense of "to play" (as a chess piece); or else from "what is given" (by chance or Fortune). Sense of "stamping block or tool" first recorded 1690s.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
diehard in Medicine

die

(dī)
v.
  1. To cease living; become dead; expire.
  2. To cease existing, especially by degrees; fade.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with diehard

die

In addition to the idioms beginning with die

  • die away
  • die down
  • die for
  • die hard
  • die in harness
  • die is cast, the
  • die laughing
  • die off
  • die out
  • die to
  • die with one's boots on

also see:

  • curl up (and die)
  • do or die
  • it's to die
  • never say die
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.