hard-and-fast

[ hahrd-n-fast, -fahst ]

/ ˈhɑrd nˈfæst, -ˈfɑst /

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See synonyms for hard-and-fast on Thesaurus.com

adjective

strongly binding; not to be set aside or violated: hard-and-fast rules.

OTHER WORDS FOR hard-and-fast

fixed, precise, inflexible, inviolable, rigorous, unambiguous.

See synonyms for hard-and-fast on Thesaurus.com

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"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

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Origin of hard-and-fast

First recorded in 1865–70

OTHER WORDS FROM hard-and-fast

hard-and-fastness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hard-and-fast in a sentence

As an example of good science-and-society policymaking, the history of fluoride may be more of a cautionary tale.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Just the hard-on before you shoot unarmed members of the public.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But so-called jungle primaries are notoriously hard to predict or poll.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

My body used for his hard pleasure; a stone god gripping me in his hands.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier's eyes that the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
There are a number of bacilli, called acid-fast bacilli, which stain in the same way as the tubercle bacillus.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
You see, they always butter their chairs so that they won't stick fast when they sit down.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
You see, I am the city undertaker, and the people are dying here so fast, that I can hardly supply the demand for coffins.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
He thought they were now in touch with our troops at "X" but that they had been through some hard fighting to get there.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for hard-and-fast

hard and fast

adjective

(hard-and-fast when prenominal) (esp of rules) invariable or strict

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with hard-and-fast