dead set
18
6.5
- idiom
- /dɛd sɛt/
- Informal
:
empeñado (en)
- Well, frankly, I was dead set against her telling ya anything.
I, I, I am dead set against solitary for young people.
- I, I, I am dead set against solitary for young people.
- So often I think we are, we're, we're dead set on the here and now.
- And it's really, really weird to have that happen when you feel so dead set against something for so long.
- I was so dead set against purchasing this and I'm so happy that I did.
- And there's some people who were really, you know, dead set against testing because they're dead set against anything that might show a gap.
- But has there been anything that you were like really dead set on and now, you know, your, your ideas have shifted?
- And so she's basically dead set on not going until her sister meets this sailor boy.
- And dad was like, like, pretty like dead set against, like, you know, the idea of supporting clown college.
- And, and I started, I started bugging my, my folks for a, a mini bike of some sort, which they were, you know, dead set against.
- Today you've learned of Gordon, an evil wizard dead set on collecting the hexagons and enslaving the world to his will.
- I mean the big business, the entire BLOB that that is in dead set on managing this discourse.
Examples
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My family is dead set against us marrying each other.
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Why is he so dead set on not working?
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And it's really, really weird to have that happen when you feel so dead set against something for so long.
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Why are you so dead set against that kid?
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I'm dead set against it.
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It's never easy, and it's impossible if one political party is dead set against any borrowing.
Blog text (29) -
I was so dead set against purchasing this and I'm so happy that I did.
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You know, those families were so dead-set against your folks getting married.
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They were dead set against any sort of shady practices.
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She is dead set against changing her mind on the project.
Synonyms
217
2.9
Not willing to change your mind even when others try to persuade you
72
6.8
Not willing to change one's mind even when others disagree
55
4.6
Determined to do something even if it is difficult or dangerous
39
6.8
Wanting very much to do something
31
4.4
Very determined to do something no matter the difficulty
9
4.8
Want something very much and do not change their mind
8
6.8
Being completely against an idea or plan
3
8.8
A person who refuses to change their opinion or behaviour even when others try to persuade them
1
4.8
A person who is determined and does not change their mind
1
8.1
Not willing to change your mind or actions
Antonyms
How Determined
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'dead' can function as an intensifier meaning 'completely' and 'set' carries the sense 'fixed' or 'determined'; combining them yields the straightforward compositional meaning 'completely fixed' or 'firmly determined.' This follows regular English compounding of an intensifier plus adjective/participle, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Dead set may come from the image of something so firmly fixed it cannot move, with dead suggesting 'completely' and set meaning 'fixed in place'. So, if someone is dead set on or 'against' something, they are very determined and will not change their mind.