brassbound

1 not allowing for any exceptions or loosening of standards a person of brassbound honesty Synonyms rigid, cast-iron, exacting, hard-line, inflexible, rigorous, strict, stringent, uncompromisingRelated Words close, conscientious, exact, fussy, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous, undeviating; adamant, adamantine, determined, dogged, firm, relentless, resolved, single-minded, steadfast, stubborn, tenacious, unbending, unflinching; immovable, implacable, unappeasable, unrelenting, unsparing, unyielding; austere, demanding, flinty, grim, hard, hardened, hard-hearted, harsh, ironbound, severe, stern, toughNear Antonyms acquiescent, compliant, compromising, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding; easy, easygoing, gentle, indulgent, kindly, lenient, merciful, mild, pampering, soft, spoiling, tolerant; neglectful, negligent, remiss, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly, unfussyAntonyms flexible, lax, loose, relaxed, slack

2 tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions the brassbound military leadership had failed to realize that this time the nation was fighting a different kind of war Synonyms archconservative, conservative, button-down (or buttoned-down), die-hard, hidebound, mossbacked, old-fashioned, old-line, old-school, orthodox, paleoconservative, reactionary, standpat, traditional, traditionalistic, ultraconservative, unprogressiveRelated Words conventional, square; devoted, faithful, loyal, staunch (also stanch), steadfast, steady, true, true-blue; blimpish, neoconservative, Tory, ultraright, ultrarightist; dowdy, fogyish (or fogeyish), fuddy-duddy, ossified, set, stodgy; right, right-wing; antiliberal, antimodern, antiprogressive, antireform, antirevolutionaryNear Antonyms anticonventional, antiestablishment, antitraditional, extremist, radical, revolutionary; nonconformist; advanced, contemporary, modern; lefty, radical, ultraleft, ultraleftist, ultraprogressive, ultraradicalAntonyms broad-minded, large-minded, liberal, nonconservative, nonconventional, nonorthodox, nontraditional, open-minded, progressive, unconventional, unorthodox

3 displaying or marked by rude boldness some brassbound upstart who thought that he could waltz in here and start issuing orders Synonyms arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, nervy, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wiseRelated Words assertive, forward, obtrusive; audacious, defiant, disrespectful; shameless, unabashed, unblushing; bluff, blunt, curt; cute, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky; lippy, mouthyNear Antonyms demure, humble, modest; courteous, genteel, mannerly, polite, proper; deferential, respectful; abashed, ashamed, blushing, embarrassed, shamefaced; gentle, mild; inconspicuous, unobtrusiveAntonyms meek, mousy (or mousey), retiring, shy, timid