die-hard

[dahy-hahrd] /ˈdaɪˌhɑrd/
noun
1.
a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like.
adjective
2.
resisting vigorously and stubbornly to the last; stubborn.
Also, diehard.
Origin
1835-45; noun, adj. use of verb phrase die hard
Related forms
die-hardism, noun

die1

[dahy] /daɪ/
verb (used without object), died, dying.
1.
to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead.
2.
(of something inanimate) to cease to exist:
The laughter died on his lips.
3.
to lose force, strength, or active qualities:
Superstitions die slowly.
4.
to cease to function; stop:
The motor died.
5.
to be no longer subject; become indifferent:
to die to worldly matters.
6.
to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually followed by away, out, or down):
The storm slowly died down.
7.
Theology. to lose spiritual life.
8.
to faint or languish.
9.
to suffer as if fatally:
I'm dying of boredom!
10.
to pine with desire, love, longing, etc.:
I'm dying to see my home again.
11.
to desire or want keenly or greatly:
I'm dying for a cup of coffee.
Verb phrases
12.
die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease:
The hoofbeats gradually died away.
13.
die down, to become calm or quiet; subside.
14.
die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced:
Her friends are dying off.
15.
die out,
  1. to cease to exist; become extinct:
    Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.
  2. to die away; fade; subside:
    The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.
Idioms
16.
die hard,
  1. to die only after a bitter struggle.
  2. to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty:
    Childhood beliefs die hard.
17.
die standing up, Theater. (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.
18.
never say die, never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.
19.
to die for, stunning; remarkable:
That dress is to die for.
Origin
1150-1200; Middle English dien, deien < Old Norse deyja. Cf. dead, death
Synonyms
1. expire, depart. Die, pass away (pass on; pass ), perish mean to relinquish life. To die is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity: An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies. Pass away (or pass on or pass ) is a commonly used euphemism implying a continuation of life after death: Grandfather passed away (passed on or passed ). Perish, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively, perish connotes utter extinction: Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.
British Dictionary definitions for die hard

die1

/daɪ/
verb (mainly intransitive) dies, dying, died
1.
(of an organism or its cells, organs, etc) to cease all biological activity permanently: she died of pneumonia
2.
(of something inanimate) to cease to exist; come to an end: the memory of her will never die
3.
often foll by away, down, or out. to lose strength, power, or energy, esp by degrees
4.
often foll by away or down. to become calm or quiet; subside: the noise slowly died down
5.
to stop functioning: the engine died
6.
to languish or pine, as with love, longing, etc
7.
(usually foll by of) (informal) to be nearly overcome (with laughter, boredom, etc)
8.
(theol) to lack spiritual life within the soul, thus separating it from God and leading to eternal punishment
9.
(transitive) to undergo or suffer (a death of a specified kind) (esp in phrases such as die a saintly death)
10.
(foll by to) to become indifferent or apathetic (to): to die to the world
11.
(informal) never say die, never give up
12.
die hard, to cease to exist after resistance or a struggle: old habits die hard
13.
die in harness, to die while still working or active, prior to retirement
14.
be dying, foll by for or an infinitive. to be eager or desperate (for something or to do something): I'm dying to see the new house
15.
(informal) to die for, highly desirable: a salary to die for
See also dieback, die down, die out
Usage note
It was formerly considered incorrect to use the preposition from after die, but of and from are now both acceptable: he died of/from his injuries
Word Origin
Old English dīegan, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse deyja, Old High German touwen

die2

/daɪ/
noun
1.
  1. a shaped block of metal or other hard material used to cut or form metal in a drop forge, press, or similar device
  2. a tool of metal, silicon carbide, or other hard material with a conical hole through which wires, rods, or tubes are drawn to reduce their diameter
2.
an internally-threaded tool for cutting external threads Compare tap2 (sense 6)
3.
a casting mould giving accurate dimensions and a good surface to the object cast See also die-cast
4.
(architect) the dado of a pedestal, usually cubic
5.
another name for dice (sense 2)
6.
as straight as a die, perfectly honest
7.
the die is cast, the decision that commits a person irrevocably to an action has been taken
Word Origin
C13 dee, from Old French de, perhaps from Vulgar Latin datum (unattested) a piece in games, noun use of past participle of Latin dare to play

die-hard

noun
1.
a person who resists change or who holds onto an untenable position or outdated attitude
2.
(modifier) obstinately resistant to change
Derived Forms
die-hardism, noun
Word Origin and History for die hard

die

v.

mid-12c., possibly from Old Danish døja or Old Norse deyja "to die, pass away," both from Proto-Germanic *dawjanan (cf. Old Frisian deja "to kill," Old Saxon doian, Old High German touwen, Gothic diwans "mortal"), from PIE root *dheu- (3) "to pass away, become senseless" (cf. Old Irish dith "end, death," Old Church Slavonic daviti, Russian davit' "to choke, suffer").

It has been speculated that Old English had *diegan, from the same source, but it is not in any of the surviving texts and the preferred words were steorfan (see starve), sweltan (see swelter), wesan dead, also forðgan and other euphemisms.

Languages usually don't borrow words from abroad for central life experiences, but "die" words are an exception, because they are often hidden or changed euphemistically out of superstitious dread. A Dutch euphemism translates as "to give the pipe to Maarten." Regularly spelled dege through 15c., and still pronounced "dee" by some in Lancashire and Scotland. Used figuratively (of sounds, etc.) from 1580s. Related: Died; dies.

n.

early 14c. (as a plural, late 14c. as a singular), from Old French de "die, dice," of uncertain origin. Common Romanic (cf. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian dado, Provençal dat, Catalan dau), perhaps from Latin datum "given," past participle of dare (see date (n.1)), which, in addition to "give," had a secondary sense of "to play" (as a chess piece); or else from "what is given" (by chance or Fortune). Sense of "stamping block or tool" first recorded 1690s.

die hard in Medicine

die (dī)
v. died, dy·ing (dī'ĭng), dies

  1. To cease living; become dead; expire.

  2. To cease existing, especially by degrees; fade.

Slang definitions & phrases for die hard

die

noun

To desire very strongly: She was dying to become Miss Pancake (1591+)

verb
  1. To laugh uncontrollably: When he puts a lampshade on his head you could die (1596+)
  2. To be left on base at the end of an inning (1908+ Baseball)
Related Terms

cross my heart


Idioms and Phrases with die hard

die hard

Take a long time to cease to exist or be dropped from consideration. For example, Old prejudices die hard, or The more radical parts of this proposal will die hard. This idiom alludes to struggling against physical death. [ Late 1700s ]

die

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