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

In return, the crowdfunding platform will provide the firm with access to its startup network.
ORIX invests $60M in Israeli crowdfunding platform OurCrowd | Frederic Lardinois | November 20, 2020 | TechCrunch
The tactic accounts for around 70% of Robinhood’s revenue, raising questions of whether this is sustainable and if the firm will be able to diversify its revenue stream in the future.
Robinhood co-founder steps down as co-CEO, leaving Vlad Tenev as sole chief ahead of a rumored IPO | Jeff | November 20, 2020 | Fortune
The mission, the firm’s 16th so far, included a soft parachute landing of the first-stage booster to the ocean for the first time.
Rocket Lab has successfully recovered a booster for the first time | Neel Patel | November 20, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
Green tech firms struggle to find financing for their ideas, which is a major barrier to tackling our growing climate problem.
Why we should be funding more Solyndras | Amy Nordrum | November 19, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
It’s hard enough to go out and collect data on one firm and their advertising and sales spending, let alone do this for hundreds of products at once.
Does Advertising Actually Work? (Part 1: TV) (Ep. 440) | Stephen J. Dubner | November 19, 2020 | Freakonomics

The firming of the soil about the roots of a newly set plant is as important as firming it over planted seeds.
The First Book of Farming | Charles L. Goodrich
I find this more effective than firming the soil with the foot, as it prevents the possibility of loose planting.
Amateur Gardencraft | Eben E. Rexford
Fill in over the roots, gradually firming the soil above with the feet.
The Practical Garden-Book | C. E. Hunn
Push the sets well down into the ground and cover with soil, firming them with the feet or a roller.
The Practical Garden-Book | C. E. Hunn
It meant only the selection of stones and firming them into place.
The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming. | Ellen Eddy Shaw

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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