die-hard 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdī-ˌhärd How to pronounce die-hard (audio)
Definition of die-hardnext
as in traditional
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions the die-hard purists are never going to accept certain words, no matter who uses them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

diehard

2 of 2

noun

1
as in neocon

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in militant

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of die-hard
Adjective
Some descendants worry that the new research from Kurin and his colleagues will only infuriate die-hard Jefferson apologists further. — Andrew Lawler, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026 Enter Darlene’s handsome grandson Matt (Buckley), a Chicago firefighter and die-hard Bears fan who, with a little gentle nudging from Darlene, agrees to show Avery what being part of Bears Nation is all about. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
Winfield is also a diehard Beatles fan. — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026 And the dejected diehard of a downtrodden franchise isn’t truly stuck in a one-sided detrimental relationship. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for die-hard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for die-hard
  1. traditional
  2. neocon
  3. militant
  4. conservative
  5. neoconservative
  6. loyal
  7. orthodox
  8. staunch
Adjective
  • Its signature Song Bag translates the skeletal geometry of traditional Chinese kites into a soft, structured leather vessel.
    — Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Inn operates like a traditional B&B, with free breakfast in the morning, and complimentary wine and cheese in the evening.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of traditional
Noun
  • At the same time, the recent, deadly brutality of the agency and its partners has led, according to some polls, to strong support for such a policy; those espousing the slogan have included Bill Kristol, the neocon anti-Trump writer.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • This faith caused the neocons to recoil in from the Obama administration’s 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Definition of neocon
Noun
  • Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,467 Palestinians in Gaza since a ceasefire was reached with Hamas nearly a year ago, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which doesn't give a breakdown of civilians and militants.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Videos from that day showed militants gunning down fleeing revelers, shooting the wounded at point-blank range and ambushing those seeking refuge in bomb shelters.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of militant
Adjective
  • The agency cited a local news story, whose source for its reporting was an X post from conservative activist and social media influencer Scott Presler.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The task fell to Atomic Canyon, whose CEO Trey Lauderdale previously worked to integrate AI into health care, another conservative industry.
    — Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of conservative
Noun
  • Senor and Stephens are neoconservatives who hardly needed to be convinced that the members of progressive movements were not friends of the Jewish people.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Moreover, during the Iraq war, the Jewish community could effectively argue that framing the conflict as a Jewish neocon conspiracy was baseless, even as some neoconservatives influenced policy.
    — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of neoconservative
Adjective
  • Both political camps inspire intensely loyal supporters — and fierce opposition.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The post goes on to say that loyal, regular customers are what kept FunDimension afloat.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of loyal
Adjective
  • Garcia’s comes from standing up straight in his orthodox stance but is driven by his back leg, which propels him forward.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • King’s indifference to orthodox formats enables formal mischief.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of orthodox
Adjective
  • Both Wiener, a gay man and staunch advocate for the city’s large LGBTQ+ community, and Chan, who immigrated to the city from Hong Kong at age 13 and has deep ties to its large Chinese and immigrant communities, would make history by winning.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The exchange came as Schmitt has billed himself as a staunch sports fan.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of staunch

Browse Nearby Words

die (from)
die-hard
diehard
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Die-hard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/die-hard. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All