| / English Dictionary |
FIRM
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments
Example:
he worked for a brokerage house
Synonyms:
business firm; firm; house
Classified under:
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects
Hypernyms ("firm" is a kind of...):
business; business concern; business organisation; business organization; concern (a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "firm"):
corp; corporation (a business firm whose articles of incorporation have been approved in some state)
accounting firm (a firm of accountants who provide accounting and auditing services for a fee)
consulting company; consulting firm (a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee)
publisher; publishing company; publishing firm; publishing house (a firm in the publishing business)
dealer (a firm engaged in trading)
law firm (a firm of lawyers)
auction house (a firm that conducts auctions)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Strong and sure
Example:
gave a strong pull on the rope
Synonyms:
firm; strong
Classified under:
Similar:
forceful (characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical))
Sense 2
Meaning:
Unwavering in devotion to friend or vow or cause
Example:
fast friends
Synonyms:
fast; firm; loyal; truehearted
Classified under:
Similar:
faithful (steadfast in affection or allegiance)
Derivation:
firmness (the trait of being resolute)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Securely fixed in place
Example:
the post was still firm after being hit by the car
Synonyms:
fast; firm; immobile
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
fixed (securely placed or fastened or set)
Derivation:
firmness (the quality of being steady or securely and immovably fixed in place)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Not soft or yielding to pressure
Example:
solid ground
Synonyms:
firm; solid
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
hard (resisting weight or pressure)
Derivation:
firmness (the property of being unyielding to the touch)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Possessing the tone and resiliency of healthy tissue
Example:
firm muscles
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
healthy (having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease)
Derivation:
firmness (the muscle tone of healthy tissue)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
Example:
unwavering loyalty
Synonyms:
firm; steadfast; steady; stiff; unbendable; unfaltering; unshakable; unwavering
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
resolute (firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination)
Derivation:
firmness (the trait of being resolute)
Sense 7
Meaning:
Securely established
Example:
holds a firm position as the country's leading poet
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
secure (free from danger or risk)
Sense 8
Meaning:
Not subject to revision or change
Example:
a firm offer
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
settled (established or decided beyond dispute or doubt)
Sense 9
Meaning:
Not liable to fluctuate or especially to fall
Example:
stocks are still firm
Synonyms:
firm; steady; unfluctuating
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
stable (resistant to change of position or condition)
Derivation:
firmness (the quality of being steady or securely and immovably fixed in place)
Sense 10
Meaning:
(of especially a person's physical features) not shaking or trembling
Example:
a firm step
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
steady (not subject to change or variation especially in behavior)
III. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they firm ... he / she / it firms
Past simple: firmed
Past participle: firmed
-ing form: firming
Sense 1
Meaning:
Make taut or tauter
Example:
tauten a rope
Synonyms:
firm; tauten
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "firm" is one way to...):
fasten; tighten (make tight or tighter)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Sense 2
Meaning:
Become taut or tauter
Example:
the rope tautened
Synonyms:
firm; tauten
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "firm" is one way to...):
tighten (become tight or tighter)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
IV. (adverb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
With resolute determination
Example:
you must stand firm
Synonyms:
firm; firmly; steadfastly; unwaveringly
Classified under:
Context examples:
The second, product code segment identifies a specific strength, dosage form, and formulation for a particular firm.
(FDA National Drug Code, NCI Thesaurus)
She did not see him, but she says that she could not be mistaken in his quick, firm tread.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
At last I saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams’, the great stockbroking firm in Lombard Street.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Men have a firm step, and when they walk over peas none of them stir, but girls trip and skip, and drag their feet, and the peas roll about.
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
I knew the firm for which this man worked.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
On the strength of Darcy's regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgement the highest opinion.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
While it is too early to make a firm recommendation, avoiding these chemicals might be one more thing women can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer.
(Permanent hair dye and straighteners may increase breast cancer risk, National Institutes of Health)
However, the study used self-reported alcohol consumption and relied on observational data, so no firm conclusions can me made about cause and effect.
(Drinking more than five pints a week could shorten your life, University of Cambridge)
Patients usually present with firm and painless swelling of the affected salivary gland.
(Benign Lymphoepithelial Lesion of the Salivary Gland, NCI Thesaurus)
I was firm, however, and made preparations for my long vigil.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
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