firm

firm

adjective

Definition of FIRM

1

not showing weakness or uncertainty <a friendly fellow with a ready smile and a firm handshake>

Synonyms forceful, hearty, iron, lusty, robust, solid, stout, strong, sturdy, vigorous

Related Words hard, ironclad, mighty, powerful, tough, unyielding; animated, brisk, energetic, frisky, jaunty, jazzy, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy; assured, certain, confident, sanguine, secure, sure

Near Antonyms feeble, fragile, frail; limp, listless, spiritless; diffident, insecure, self-doubting; characterless, effete, frail, spineless, weakened, weak-kneed, wimpy, wishy-washy

Antonyms uncertain, weak

2

having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure <cold butter that was too firm to spread>

Synonyms compact, hard, rigid, solid, stiff, unyielding

Related Words case-hardened, compacted, compressed, hardened, indurated, stiffened, tempered; close, dense, heavy, thick, thickset; inelastic, inflexible, ramrod, unbending; compressed, condensed; adamantine, rocklike; sturdy, substantial; impenetrable, impermeable, nonporous

Near Antonyms loose, scattered, thin; bendable, elastic, flexible, malleable, pliable, pliant, supple; droopy, flaccid, floppy, lank, limp, slack; airy, light; permeable, porous; ultrasoft

Antonyms flabby, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy

3

firmly positioned in place and difficult to dislodge <was firm in the saddle during the canter>

Synonyms fast, firm, frozen, jammed, lodged, set, snug, stuck, wedged

Related Words bonded, cemented, glued; anchored, clamped; embedded (also imbedded), entrenched (also intrenched), impacted, implanted; attached, bound, fastened, secured; immovable, unyielding

Near Antonyms detached, dislodged, freed, loosened, unattached, unbound, undone, unfastened, unsecured; movable (or moveable), yielding

Antonyms insecure, loose

4

fully committed to achieving a goal <asked him to reconsider, but he was firm in his commitment to the project>

Synonyms bent (on or upon), bound, decisive, do-or-die, firm, hell-bent (on or upon), intent, out, purposeful, resolute, resolved, set, single-minded

Related Words bitter, vehement; certain, cocksure, confident, positive, sure; earnest, serious; steady, unfaltering, unhesitating, unswerving, unwavering; adamant, adamantine, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inflexible, mulish, obdurate, persistent, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, rigid, self-willed, stubborn, tenacious, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful)

Near Antonyms distrustful, doubtful, dubious, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure; disinclined, indisposed, loath (also loth or loathe), reluctant

Antonyms faltering, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, undetermined, unresolved, vacillating, wavering, weak-kneed

5

having been established and usually not subject to change <the selling price of the house is firm, so there'll be no dickering>

Synonyms certain, determinate, final, firm, flat, frozen, hard, hard-and-fast, inexpugnable, set, settled, stable

Related Words nonadjustable, noncancelable, nonnegotiable, unchangeable; constant, steady, unchanging, uniform, unwavering; definite, exact, explicit, specific; given, stated, stipulated; dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, solid, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty

Near Antonyms adjustable, changeable, negotiable; indefinite, open-ended, unspecified; capricious, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

6

marked by the ability to withstand stress without structural damage or distortion <built on a firm foundation, so the house hasn't settled>

Synonyms bombproof, fast, firm, sound, stalwart, strong, sturdy

Related Words dependable, durable, reliable; infrangible, irrefragable, unbreakable; beefy, solid; cohesive, tough

Near Antonyms infirm, insecure, weak; shaky, tottering, tottery, unbalanced, wobbly (also wabbly); unsubstantial

Antonyms rickety, unsound, unstable, unsteady

7

based on sound reasoning or information <that assassination theory is far from firm, since there's not a shred of actual evidence to back it up>

Synonyms commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical, firm, hard, informed, just, justified, levelheaded, logical, rational, reasonable, reasoned, sensible, sober, solid, valid, well-founded

Related Words actual, real, true; certain, sure; certified, validated, verified; confirmed, corroborated, substantiated; cogent, convincing; colorable, credible, plausible

Near Antonyms unsubstantiated, unsupported, unwarranted; flimsy, implausible, unconvincing, weak; fallacious, false, misguided, misled

Antonyms groundless, illogical, invalid, irrational, nonrational, nonsensical, nonvalid, unfounded, uninformed, unjustified, unreasonable, unreasoned, unsound