adamant

1 of 2

adjective

ad·​a·​mant ˈa-də-mənt 

-ˌmant

: unshakable or insistent especially in maintaining a position or opinion : unyielding

an adamant insistence on doing things his own way

was adamant about making the change

adamant

2 of 2

noun

1

: a stone (such as a diamond) formerly believed to be of impenetrable hardness

2

: an unbreakable or extremely hard substance

"Trust not in your gold and silver, trust not in your high fortresses; for, though the walls were of iron, and the fortresses of adamant, the Most High shall put terror into your hearts and weakness into your councils …"

—George Eliot

Did you know?

The Meaning and History of Adamant

A person who is adamant about something has formed an opinion or taken a position that is not going to change because the person is determined to keep that opinion or position. If you're adamant about a decision you've made, no one can convince you that it was a mistake. If you're adamant that something be done (or not be done), you insist that it be (or not be) so.

The adjective dates to the early 1800s but it comes from a much older—and now much less common—noun. An adamant is an imaginary stone of impenetrable hardness. Historically, the word applied to actual stones (and other substances) believed to be impenetrable; in the 17th century the word was used as a synonym of diamond. The noun adamant comes from a Latin word meaning "material of extreme hardness, diamond."

One side note: however adamant the Adams in your life tend to be, the name Adam is not related etymologically to the word adamant. Adam comes from the Hebrew word 'āḏām, meaning "human being."

Synonyms

Adjective

• adamantine
• bullheaded
• dogged
• hard
• hard-nosed
• hardened
• hardheaded
• headstrong
• immovable
• implacable
• inconvincible
• inflexible
• intransigent
• mulish
• obdurate
• obstinate
• opinionated
• ossified
• pat
• pertinacious
• perverse
• pigheaded
• self-opinionated
• self-willed
• stiff-necked
• stubborn
• unbending
• uncompromising
• unrelenting
• unyielding
• willful
• wilful

Choose the Right Synonym for adamant

inflexible, obdurate, adamant mean unwilling to alter a predetermined course or purpose.

inflexible implies rigid adherence or even servile conformity to principle.

inflexible in their demands

obdurate stresses hardness of heart and insensitivity to appeals for mercy or the influence of divine grace.

obdurate in his refusal to grant clemency

adamant implies utter immovability in the face of all temptation or entreaty.

adamant that the work should continue

Examples of adamant in a Sentence

Adjective

I am keen not to share my genetic code with my insurer, I am keen that my doctor should know it and use it, but I am adamant to the point of fanaticism that it is my decision. —Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999

Arrive to find child physically intact but … adamant that he will not remain another minute in Ski Bunny program. Despite their 'professionalism,' staff members eagerly concur. —Christopher Buckley, New Yorker, 10 Mar. 1997

In the years following the First World War, the debts of our wartime allies and others came to be considered a serious burden on international commerce and well-being. Calvin Coolidge was adamant on repayment. —John Kenneth Galbraith, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 1986

We've tried to talk him into coming with us, but he's adamant about staying here.

remained adamant about getting the actor's autograph even after he had disappeared backstage

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The company has long maintained that privacy is a fundamental human right and has been adamant that the information stored on its devices be accessible only to the people that own them. —Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Despite the abuse Drea and her kids have experienced, the mother of three is adamant about keeping her ex-husband’s last name. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 11 Dec. 2024

Noun

Payton’s adamant that the NFL is a week-to-week league. —Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2024

But Ballard’s adamant that there is no way to know how things will shake out once the draft begins. —The Indianapolis Star, 23 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from attributive use of adamant entry 2

Noun

Middle English, "diamond, material of extreme hardness, lodestone," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin adamant-, adamās "material of extreme hardness, diamond," borrowed from Greek adamant-, adámas, probably a borrowing from a substratal or Near Eastern source, conformed by folk etymology to a- a- entry 2 and the stem of the verb dámnēmi "(I) tame, subdue, conquer"

First Known Use

Adjective

1816, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

adamant

1 of 2 noun

ad·​a·​mant ˈad-ə-mənt 

-ˌmant

1

: an imaginary stone of great hardness

2

: an unbreakable or extremely hard substance

adamant

2 of 2 adjective

: firmly fixed or decided especially against something : unyielding

adamantly adverb

Etymology

Noun

Middle English adamant "an imaginary stone of great hardness, diamond," from early French adamant (same meaning), from Latin adamant-, adamas "hardest metal, diamond," from Greek adamant-, adamas (same meaning) — related to diamond see Word History at diamond