steadfast
or sted·fast
[sted-fast, -fahst, -fuh st]
- fixed in direction; steadily directed: a steadfast gaze.
- firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, etc., as a person: a steadfast friend.
- unwavering, as resolution, faith, adherence, etc.
- firmly established, as an institution or a state of affairs.
- firmly fixed in place or position.
Show More
Origin of steadfast
Synonyms
See more synonyms for steadfast on Thesaurus.com2. sure, dependable, reliable, constant, unwavering. Steadfast, staunch, steady imply a sureness and continuousness that may be depended upon. Steadfast literally means fixed in place, but is chiefly used figuratively to indicate undeviating constancy or resolution: steadfast in one's faith. Staunch literally means watertight, as of a vessel, and therefore strong and firm; figuratively, it is used of loyal support that will endure strain: a staunch advocate of free trade. Literally, steady is applied to that which is relatively firm in position or continuous in movement or duration: a steady flow; figuratively, it implies sober regularity or persistence: a steady worker. 4, 5. stable.
Antonyms
2. capricious, variable.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for steadfastly
Contemporary Examples
Snyder has steadfastly refused to even consider a name change.
Sarkozy has steadfastly denied allegations of wrongdoing in the Tapie case.
As a freedom fighter, Mandela was an adversary of those who steadfastly supported the Apartheid government that oppressed him.
It has steadfastly refused to release its own estimates of non-combatant deaths in drone strikes, figures that it says classified.
U.S. Drone Program Needs to Be Accompanied by Hard Facts on Civilian DeathsDaniel Klaidman
November 8, 2013
But he has steadfastly refused to confirm or deny reports that he and Silda are living apart.
Historical Examples
Tom gazed at her steadfastly, and seemed to say, 'What else?'
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
So he sat, with a steadfastly vacant gaze, pausing in his work.
A Tale of Two CitiesCharles Dickens
He was a true Hudson's Bay man, steadfastly loyal to the Company.
The ForestStewart Edward White
You looked far too long and too steadfastly for a first introduction.
A Comedy of Marriage and Other TalesGuy De Maupassant
She looked at him steadfastly for a moment without speaking.
The AvengerE. Phillips Oppenheim
steadfast
stedfast
- (esp of a person's gaze) fixed in intensity or direction; steady
- unwavering or determined in purpose, loyalty, etcsteadfast resolve
Show More
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
Word Origin and History for steadfastly
steadfast
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper