Steadfast

How to spell steadfast

9 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce steadfast

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does steadfast mean?

1. adjectiveFirmly loyal, resolute, and unwavering in purpose, belief, or commitment.

Steadfast in a sentence

• Her steadfast support kept the project alive through three rounds of budget cuts.

• He remained steadfast in his decision despite pressure from senior management.

Where does steadfast come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English word that goes back to the Old English stedefæst, which combined stede, meaning 'a place or standing position', with fæst, meaning 'firmly fixed' or 'secure'. Taken literally it described something that stood fast in its place and would not be shifted, and it was once used of soldiers who held their ground in battle. Over the centuries the physical sense of being rooted gave way to the figurative meaning we use today: loyal, unwavering, and constant in purpose or feeling. The stead element survives in several other everyday words, such as 'instead', 'homestead', and 'steady', while the fast part carries the same old sense of 'firmly attached' that you hear in 'hold fast' and 'make fast'. Because the spelling simply joins those two familiar pieces, the common trap is the silent reshaping of sound: the unstressed second syllable still ends in the solid -fast, not -fest.

How the word is built

• stead (from Old English stede: place, position)
• fast (Old English fæst: firmly fixed)