dyed-in-the-wool

American  

[dahyd-n-thuh-wool] / ˈdaɪd n ðəˈwʊl /

adjective

1. through and through; complete.

   a dyed-in-the-wool reformer.

2. dyed before weaving.

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dyed-in-the-wool British  

adjective

1. extreme or unchanging in attitude, opinion, etc

2. (of a fabric) made of dyed yarn

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dyed-in-the-wool Cultural  

1. Thoroughgoing or complete: “The door-to-door salespeople are wasting their time with Evans; he's a dyed-in-the-wool advocate of shopping on the Internet.”

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Etymology

Origin of dyed-in-the-wool

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

She, too, is a dyed in the wool fan of "The Last Unicorn" and references it in her lectures.

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2022

The press also characterised the band’s audience as dyed in the wool hippies “replete with grubby Afghan jackets”, said Melody Maker – but they couldn’t have been more wrong.

From The Guardian • Oct. 19, 2020

Living up close and personal with a dyed in the wool procrastinator for 40 years has been the equivalent of a graduate program in behavioral psych.

From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2016

"Your little granddaughter belongs to the new cult; and I can assure you she is dyed in the wool, and moreover is all wool and a yard wide."

From Jewel by Burnham, Clara Louise

Thus, a character "dyed in the wool" is one that has received some early, permanent, and pervading influence; a character stained with crime or guilt is debased and perverted.

From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by Fernald, James Champlin