to hold firm
9
4.5
- phrasal verb
:
mantenerse firme
- During the debate, he continued to hold firm on his stance despite the criticism.
But day by day we've been holding firm to our pledges and paving the way for the brighter future that people voted for.
- But day by day we've been holding firm to our pledges and paving the way for the brighter future that people voted for.
- He, however, holds firmly to this aspect because he is conscious of the increase of property as a pure duty.
- You can go and get all the skills you need to deal with this, and then these people still can come at you guns blazing and you have to just hold firm.
Examples
-
Management is holding firm to their demand that CSO musicians increase their contributions to their health insurance.
Blog text (8) -
So it's vital you hold firm.
-
And I held firm To what I felt was right
-
We must hold firm together.
-
This is a time for everyone to stand together and hold firm as they are doing.
-
But the government has held firm.
Academic text (2012) -
You know, we need to hold firm or else you'll be run over.
-
And this time I am going to hold firm to my resolutions!
Fiction book (1994) -
Their citizens held firm during the Revolution and witnessed the United States expand into new, exciting lands.
Academic text (2014) -
Reid, this past weekend, held firm on his threat to hold Saturday votes.
Blog text (13)
Synonyms
∞
2.8
Say or demand something firmly and refuse to change your mind
173
3.3
To keep trying and not give up when things are hard
139
3.7
To refuse to give up until you get what you want
62
3.7
To keep doing something or keep holding a belief despite difficulty
25
5.7
To keep your position when others disagree
22
3.7
Keep your decision or opinion when others try to make you change
12
6.7
Keep supporting your idea when others disagree
11
5.5
To stay firmly attached to something or keep believing strongly in an idea
8
5.4
To refuse to change a decision or rule under pressure
4
6.4
Refuse to change your mind when others disagree
2
4.4
Keep the same decision even when others disagree
2
7.9
To keep the same opinion or decision and not change it
2
7.7
To refuse to change your mind and stay firm
1
7.8
Refuse to change an opinion or position at all
1
6.7
Refuse to change an opinion or plan when pressed
1
4.4
To state an opinion strongly and refuse to change it when others disagree
Antonyms
How Firm
- Informal
1
7.8
22
3.7
9
4.5
52
5.7
220
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to refuse to change your opinion...' is directly derivable from combining 'hold' (to keep or maintain) with 'firm' (resolute); the adjective modifies the verb to indicate holding something strongly. This verb + adjective compositional pattern is common in English and across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the idiomatic sense.
Etymology
Hold firm comes from the image of someone holding a rope tightly so it will not move; hold means to keep a grip and firm means strong and steady. So, to hold firm about an idea or decision means to 'refuse to change' even when others try to push you.