Adamant Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms adamant American [ad-uh-muhnt, -mant] / ˈæd ə mənt, -ˌmænt /

adjective

1. utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc.

   Synonyms: uncompromising, rigid, inflexible Antonyms: yielding, easygoing, flexible

2. too hard to cut, break, or pierce.

noun

1. any impenetrably or unyieldingly hard substance.

2. a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness, formerly sometimes identified with the diamond.

adamant British / ˈædəmənt /

adjective

1. unshakable in purpose, determination, or opinion; unyielding

2. a less common word for adamantine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. any extremely hard or apparently unbreakable substance

2. a legendary stone said to be impenetrable, often identified with the diamond or loadstone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• adamance noun
• adamancy noun
• adamantly adverb
• unadamant adjective

Etymology

Origin of adamant

First recorded before 900; Middle English, from Old French adamaunt, from Latin adamant- (stem of adamas ) “hard metal (perhaps steel), diamond,” from Greek, equivalent to a- a- 6 + -damant- verbal adjective of damân “to tame, conquer”; replacing Old English athamans (from Medieval Latin ) and Middle English aymont, from Middle French aimant, from unattested Vulgar Latin adimant-, from Latin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Thomas Frank is adamant key figures at Tottenham are "completely aligned" about his future at the troubled Premier League club.

From Barron's

That said, he was adamant that the fundraising effort was “really embarrassing” and that people who donated should get their money back.

From Los Angeles Times

And Slot was adamant he has not changed his principles, despite Liverpool's struggles in recent weeks, in terms of the quality of their performances.

From BBC

What he was adamant about was the US's willingness to pressure Rodríguez's interim government.

From BBC

Others professionals are adamant that collectibles have no place in a portfolio.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• determined
• insistent
• intransigent
• resolute
• rigid
• stubborn
• uncompromising

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.