Adamant
ˈædəmənt
adjective; noun
As an adjective, firmly refusing to change a decision or position. As a literary noun, adamant is an exceptionally hard substance, often imagined as unbreakable.
Modern examples commonly describe a person who will not be persuaded. Older poems and figurative passages also use the noun for a hard material. That distinction matters in Dickens's 'not adamant' and Milton's 'gates of burning adamant'.
See how Charles Dickens, J. K. Rowling and 10 other authors use "adamant", with its meaning, pronunciation and real book examples.
Examples from books
The mages failed, King Baelor’s prayers went unanswered, the wooden dragons burned, and Prince Aerion died screaming.” Queen Selyse was adamant.
George R. R. Martin
A Storm of Swords
She thinks this struggle is the most important thing, and she's adamant about being consulted when our deliberations touch on it.
Stephen King
The Stand
And when the Duke had remained adamant about attending the dinner.
Frank Herbert
Dune
His voice was soft but the look in his eyes was adamant.
Stephen King
Wolves of the Calla
The stripling answered heatedly, and the name of Ser Morgan Dunstable was mentioned several times, but the steward had remained adamant.
George R. R. Martin
The Tales of Dunk & Egg
If you are a stone, be adamant; if you are a plant, be the sensitive plant; if you are a man, be love.
Victor Hugo
Les Misérables
Centre of equal daughters, equal sons, All, all alike endear’d, grown, ungrown, young or old, Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich, Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love, A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother, Chair’d in the adamant of Time.
Walt Whitman
Leaves of Grass
But Gerty was adamant.
James Joyce
Ulysses
It was a long session in the no-globe’s practice hall, Duncan in a mobile cage driving the exercise, adamant that this particular training series would continue until his new body had adapted to the seven central attitudes of combat response against attack from eight directions.
Frank Herbert
Heretics of Dune
“Man,” said the Ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered what the surplus is, and where it is.
Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol
Hermione was furious with the pair of them; she went from one to the other, trying to force them to talk to each other, but Harry was adamant: He would talk to Ron again only if Ron admitted that Harry hadn’t put his name in the Goblet of Fire and apologized for calling him a liar.
J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
A foe to pride: no adamant is there; And now, e'en now it melts! for sure I see
Homer
The Odyssey
The High Sparrow had been adamant, and Ser Kevan refused to lift a finger against him.
George R. R. Martin
A Dance with Dragons
Think of forests of adamant with leaves of brilliants.
G. K. Chesterton
The Innocence of Father Brown
Seized us, though undismayed. Long is the way And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light; Our prison strong, this huge convex of fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round Ninefold, and gates of burning adamant, Barred over us, prohibit all egress.
John Milton
Paradise Lost
You’re not against Catch-22, are you?’ Doc Daneeka was adamant.
Joseph Heller
Catch-22
