to stick to one's guns
12
6.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
mantenerse firme
- In a heated debate, she decided to stick to her guns and defend her viewpoint despite the criticism.
- say, "stick to your guns"
- stick to her guns and insist
- President sticks to his guns
Examples
-
But he stuck to his guns, and ultimately he was vindicated.
Academic text (2010) -
You have to stick to your guns and do it in a way that's interesting to you.
-
So, you gotta stick to your guns now.
-
Age was never an issue when you stuck to your guns.
-
You stick to your guns.
-
Just stick to your guns.
-
Well, you stick to your guns.
-
"Decide what you want and stick to your guns."
Fiction book (1992) -
I'm glad that Dave, anyway, is determined to stick to his guns and keep this all open.
Blog text (9) -
He would have stuck to his guns right to the end.
Synonyms
87
4.7
Continue to follow and support a rule, belief, or person
25
5.7
To keep your position when others disagree
25
3.5
To stay loyal to a promise, plan or belief
22
3.7
Keep your decision or opinion when others try to make you change
9
4.5
To refuse to change your opinion or decision despite 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
4.4
To state an opinion strongly and refuse to change it when others disagree
1
5.4
Keep doing what you believe is right even when it is hard
Defend your ideas or what you want when others disagree
Antonyms
How Firm
29
6.9
- Informal
12
6.7
25
3.5
187
3.2
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'stick to' (to persist with) is transparent, but 'one's guns' is metaphorical—guns do not literally mean beliefs—so the core notion of defending one's position relies on figurative use. Because part of the phrase is compositional while the pivotal noun phrase is idiomatic, a B1 learner knowing the words would only partially infer the full meaning.
Etymology
The idiom stick to one's guns may come from soldiers staying beside their cannons in battle and not leaving their posts. If you stick to your guns you stay firm and keep defending the same position, so today it means 'to continue to support or defend your ideas'.