- a variation of stanch.
staunch
Americanadjective
-
stauncher,
comparative
-
staunchest
superlative
-
firm or steadfast in principle, adherence, loyalty, etc., as a person.
a staunch Republican; a staunch friend.
-
characterized by firmness, steadfastness, or loyalty.
He delivered a staunch defense of the government.
- Synonyms:
- resolute
-
a staunch little hut in the woods.
-
impervious to water or other liquids; watertight.
a staunch vessel.
adjective
-
loyal, firm, and dependable
a staunch supporter
-
solid or substantial in construction
-
rare (of a ship, etc) watertight; seaworthy
verb
Synonym Usage
See steadfast.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of staunch
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English sta(u)nch, from Middle French estanche (feminine), estanc (masculine), derivative of estancher “to close, stop”; see stanch 1
Explanation
As an adjective, staunch means firm. You might want to go to that concert Friday night, but your parents' staunch opposition prevents you. Staunch is sometimes used as a verb to mean "to stop the flow of a liquid," but most usage books will tell you it's better to use the word stanch for the verb. Think of a soldier stopping and standing still, and you will understand the connection between the two meanings. The adjectival form should make you think of "stand," as in “stand firm,” or "take a stand." It comes from the French estanche meaning “watertight” and the Latin stanticare, which is probably from stans for “stand.”
Vocabulary lists containing staunch
Born a Crime
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"Of Plymouth Plantation," Vocabulary from the historical account
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Promises, Promises
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, for years a staunch supporter of settlers, said there was "no excuse for such thuggish behaviour".
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
He won a seat in Congress in 2022, the same year he and Emily Moreno—whose father is Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, a staunch Trump ally—married at one of Trump’s golf clubs.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
He issued a no-bid contract to a company that botched the renovation, according to staunch Trump loyalist Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
His parents both worked for the government and his father, a member of the security services, had always been a staunch defender of the Communist regime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The issue was taken up at a meeting of the National Executive Committee and my view was voted down, even by those who were considered staunch African nationalists.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Two years after the WTO's last ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi failed to make meaningful progress on key issues like fisheries and agriculture, the organisation's 166 members will be facing even stauncher challenges in Yaounde.
From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026
However, the source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stauncher defense of Yovanovitch.
From Reuters ● Oct. 26, 2019
He conceived it as an alternative to 4chan, one with an even stauncher commitment to anything-goes content moderation.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 23, 2019
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. strongly backed Hadi, and the new president proved a stauncher ally to the U.S. than Saleh in the fight against al-Qaida’s branch in the country.
From Time ● Mar. 22, 2015
But he—he was stauncher; he was most to be trusted when the game seemed all but lost.
From The Kingdom Round the Corner A Novel by Coningsby Dawson
But he later became one of his staunchest backers.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Germany has long been among Israel's staunchest allies, something Berlin has grounded in the country's responsibility for the Holocaust.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
“He became one of my staunchest supporters and schooled me on whom I could trust and whom I could never turn my back on.”
From Slate ● Feb. 25, 2026
At Granja Elena in Zona Franca, I enjoyed a tomato and scallop tartare that could entice even the staunchest carnivore.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2025
And yet Howland Reed had been one of Father's staunchest companions during the war for King Robert's crown, before Bran was bom.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
