firm

[ furm ]

See synonyms for: firm firmed firming firmly on Thesaurus.com

adjective,firm·er, firm·est.

not soft or yielding when pressed; comparatively solid, hard, stiff, or rigid: firm ground;firm texture.
securely fixed in place.

not shaking or trembling; steady: a firm voice.
not likely to change; fixed; settled; unalterable: a firm belief.
steadfast or unwavering, as persons or principles: firm friends.
indicating firmness or determination: a firm expression.
not fluctuating much or falling, as prices, values, etc.: The stock market was firm today.

verb (used with object)

to make firm; tighten or strengthen (sometimes followed by up): to firm up one's hold on something.
to steady or fix (sometimes followed by up): to firm up prices.

verb (used without object)

to become firm or fixed (sometimes followed by up): Butter firms by churning.
(of prices, markets, etc.) to recover; become stronger, as after a decline (sometimes followed by up): Stock prices firmed again today.

adverb,firm·er, firm·est.

firmly: He stood firm.

Origin of firm

First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin firmus; replacing Middle English ferm(e), from Middle French ferm(e), from Latin

synonym study For firm

1. Firm, hard, solid, stiff are applied to substances that tend to retain their form unaltered in spite of pressure or force. Firm often implies that something has been brought from a yielding state to a fixed or elastic one: An increased amount of pectin makes jellies firm. Hard is applied to substances so resistant that it is difficult to make any impression upon their surface or to penetrate their interior: as hard as a stone. Solid is applied to substances that without external support retain their form and resist pressure: Water in the form of ice is solid. It sometimes denotes the opposite of hollow: a solid block of marble. Stiff implies rigidity that resists a bending force: as stiff as a poker.

Other words for firm

2	fast, stable, immovable
4	established, confirmed
5	determined, immovable, staunch, reliable

See synonyms for firm on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for firm

1	yielding, soft

See antonyms for firm on Thesaurus.com

Other words from firm

firm·ly, adverb
firm·ness, noun

Other definitions for firm (2 of 2)

firm²

[ furm ]

noun

a partnership or association for carrying on a business.
the name or title under which associated parties transact business: the firm of Smith & Jones.

Origin of firm

First recorded in 1565–75; from Spanish firma “signature” (hence, legal name of a partnership), noun derivative of firmar “to sign,” from Latin firmāre “to strengthen, confirm,” derivative of firmus firm¹

Other words for firm

1	company, business, concern, house

See synonyms for firm on Thesaurus.com

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use firm in a sentence

However, this leaves open the calculations of height and speed—which have suddenly become firmer.
New MH370 Puzzle Scrambles Search | Clive Irving | March 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The collection initiative was suspended, while the government looked for ways to place it on a firmer legal foundation.
How Obama Embraced NSA Spying | Daniel Klaidman | June 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
And our global leadership is on firmer footing than many predicted.
Hillary's Farewell Speech: Read the Transcript | The Daily Beast | February 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
I continue to believe that whenever we can codify something through legislation, it is on firmer ground.
Obama's Dodge on Executive Power | Justin Green | January 27, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
U.N. action on the Palestinians will likely render that hold even firmer.
Round Two At Turtle Bay | Lara Friedman | November 14, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

But having chosen the Champs aux Capuchins, it was idle to expect that one stretch of turf would prove firmer than another.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
This will make the tobacco look much better and also render the process of packing firmer.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
The floor of this piano rests on a somewhat firmer stratum, in which is still another level of galleries, , ten feet lower down.
The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow
But when we come down to the lower levels of the domain of the spiritual we find ourselves on firmer ground.
Man And His Ancestor | Charles Morris
He believed that he had gained a firmer footing among the girl's thoughts and emotions than had been gained by Thurstane.
Overland | John William De Forest

British Dictionary definitions for firm (1 of 2)

firm¹

/ (fɜːm) /

adjective

not soft or yielding to a touch or pressure; rigid; solid
securely in position; stable or stationary

definitely established; decided; settled
enduring or steady; constant
having determination or strength; resolute
(of prices, markets, etc) tending to rise

adverb

in a secure, stable, or unyielding manner: he stood firm over his obligation to pay

verb

(sometimes foll by up) to make or become firm
(intr) Australian horse racing (of a horse) to shorten in odds

Origin of firm

C14: from Latin firmus

Derived forms of firm

firmly, adverb
firmness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for firm (2 of 2)

firm²

/ (fɜːm) /

noun

a business partnership
any commercial enterprise

a team of doctors and their assistants
British slang
- a gang of criminals
- a gang of football hooligans

Origin of firm

C16 (in the sense: signature): from Spanish firma signature, title of a partnership or business concern, from firmar to sign, from Latin firmāre to confirm, from firmus firm

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

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