to budge an inch
1
7.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
cambiar de opinión
- Reagan never budged an inch, then or in the rest of his presidency.
- never budge an inch
Examples
-
Neither Savage nor Brown walked away having budged an inch on their positions; however, the debate was civil and passionate.
Blog text (8) -
Ten months and some 4.7 billion of campaign spending later, the two parties appeared to have hardly budged an inch.
Blog text (33) -
And for all of it, we never budge an inch.
-
So, although I'd probably be willing to budge an inch in either direction, this is my Happy Range.
Blog text (19) -
Bush repeatedly has pledged never to touch Social Security or budge an inch more on defense.
Fiction book (1992) -
That weasel of a manager wouldn't budge an inch.
-
While the government was right on TARP and other emergency actions since 2008, when banks started falling like dominoes, it hasn't budged an inch on much-needed regulatory reform.
Blog text (23) -
Despite all the arguments, she refused to budge an inch from her original decision.
-
He was adamant and would not budge an inch, no matter how much we tried to persuade him.
-
The committee didn't budge an inch on its stance regarding the new policy.
Synonyms
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
9
4.5
To refuse to change your opinion or decision despite pressure
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
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 Willing
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from the constituents: 'budge' means to move and 'inch' denotes a very small distance, so 'not budge an inch' literally means 'not move even a tiny bit' and thus figuratively 'refuse to change one's position'. This is a transparent compositional metaphor (small physical movement → small change of opinion) found in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the words can readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The idiom budge an inch paints a picture of someone who will not budge, that is, move, even an inch, a very small distance. That's why it means 'to refuse to change one's opinion or position'.