Meanings
comparative steadfaster · comparative more steadfast · superlative steadfastest · superlative most steadfast · alternative obsolete stedfast
- Fixed or unchanging; steady.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveFirmly loyal or constant; unswerving.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivemarked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
adjectivefirm and dependable especially in loyalty
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*stadifastuz
- Old Englishstedefæst
- Middle Englishstedefast
- Englishsteadfast
From Middle English stedefast, from Old English stedefæst, from Proto-Germanic *stadifastuz, equivalent to stead (“place; spot; position”) + fast (“firm; fixed”). Cognate with Middle Dutch stedevast (“steadfast”), Icelandic staðfestur (“steadfast”), Danish stedfast (“firmly attached, secured”), Danish stadfæste (“to confirm; ratify”), Norwegian Nynorsk stadfesta (“confirm, ratify; establish”), Swedish stadfästa (“to confirm; establish”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek βέβαιος, καρτερός
- βέβαιος (bébaios)fixed or unchanging; steady
- καρτερός (karterós)fixed or unchanging; steady
- ἀστραβής (astrabḗs)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- τλήμων (tlḗmōn)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Arabic ثابت
- ثابت (ṯābit)fixed or unchanging; steady
Bulgarian неподвижен, устойчив
- неподвижен (nepodvižen)fixed or unchanging; steady
- устойчив (ustojčiv)fixed or unchanging; steady
- предан (predan)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- ве́рен (véren)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- всеотда́ен (vseotdáen)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Chinese Cantonese 堅定嘅 /坚定嘅, 忠實嘅 /忠实嘅
- 堅定嘅 /坚定嘅 (gin¹ ding⁶ ge³)fixed or unchanging; steady
- 忠實嘅 /忠实嘅 (zung¹ sat⁶ ge³)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- 忠誠嘅 /忠诚嘅 (zung¹ sing⁴ ge³)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Chinese Mandarin 忠實 /忠实, 堅定不移 /坚定不移
- 忠實 /忠实 (zhōngshí)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- 堅定不移 /坚定不移 (jiāndìngbùyí)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Dutch standvastig, standvastig
- standvastigfixed or unchanging; steady
- standvastigfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Finnish luja, vakaa
- lujafixed or unchanging; steady
- vakaafixed or unchanging; steady
- järkkymätönfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- vankkumatonfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
French déterminé
- déterminéfixed or unchanging; steady
German unentwegt, standhaft
- unentwegtfixed or unchanging; steady
- standhaftfixed or unchanging; steady
Hungarian állhatatos
- állhatatosfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Irish diongbháilte, buanseasmhach
- diongbháiltefixed or unchanging; steady
- buanseasmhachfixed or unchanging; steady
- diongbháiltefirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- buanseasmhachfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Italian saldo
- saldofixed or unchanging; steady
Latin firmus, obnīxus
- firmusfixed or unchanging; steady
- obnīxusfixed or unchanging; steady
- fidusfixed or unchanging; steady
- constansfixed or unchanging; steady
- firmusfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- certusfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Lithuanian nepajudinamas
- nepajudinamasfixed or unchanging; steady
Māori titikaha, tōmau
- titikahafixed or unchanging; steady
- tōmaufixed or unchanging; steady
- pūmaufixed or unchanging; steady
- titikahafirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- tōmaufirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- kiriūkafirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- horopūfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Norwegian stødig, stødig
- stødigfixed or unchanging; steady
- stødigfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- traustfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Norwegian Bokmål vedvarende, stadig
- vedvarendefixed or unchanging; steady
- stadigfixed or unchanging; steady
Persian ثابت
- ثابت (sâbet)fixed or unchanging; steady
Polish niezachwiany, niezłomny
- niezachwianyfixed or unchanging; steady
- niezłomnyfixed or unchanging; steady
- oddanyfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Portuguese firme, constante
- firmefixed or unchanging; steady
- constantefixed or unchanging; steady
- firmefirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- inabalávelfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Russian усто́йчивый, непоколеби́мый
- усто́йчивый (ustójčivyj)fixed or unchanging; steady
- непоколеби́мый (nepokolebímyj)fixed or unchanging; steady
- сто́йкий (stójkij)fixed or unchanging; steady
- пре́данный (prédannyj)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- ве́рный (vérnyj)firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Spanish constable, empecinado
- constablefirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- empecinadofirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Swedish stadig, stabil
- stadigfixed or unchanging; steady
- stabilfixed or unchanging; steady
- orubbligfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
- ståndaktigfirmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Turkish daimî, değişmez
- daimîfixed or unchanging; steady
- değişmezfixed or unchanging; steady
- sabitfixed or unchanging; steady
- süreklifixed or unchanging; steady
Cite this entry
steadfast. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steadfast
“steadfast.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steadfast. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “steadfast,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steadfast.
Source: steadfast on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.