Meaning & use
firm
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Fairly hard and solid, not soft and not easily pressed out of shape.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a firm mattress, the peach is firm.
Patterns
- firm to the touch
Choose avocados that are firm but not hard.
I prefer a firm mattress for my back.
The soil was firm enough to walk on.
adjectivecomparable
Steady and not likely to change, showing clear determination or strong belief.
Grammar: Often followed by with or about: firm with the children.
Patterns
- be firm with someone
- firm about something
The teacher was kind but firm with the class.
She has a firm belief that hard work pays off.
We reached a firm agreement on the price.
nouncountable
A business, especially one that sells professional services such as law or accounting.
Grammar: Can take a singular or plural verb in British English.
Patterns
- a firm of lawyers
- work for a firm
Her father works for a law firm downtown.
The firm hired ten graduates this year.
He runs a small consulting firm.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make something harder or more stable, or to become so.
Grammar: Often with up: firm up the plans.
Patterns
- firm something up
Exercise helped firm up her stomach muscles.
We need to firm up the schedule by Friday.
The market began to firm after weeks of decline.
Word forms
| comparative | firmer |
|---|---|
| superlative | firmest |
| plural noun | firms |
Common combinations
- firm grip
- Keep a firm grip on the rope.
- firm believer
- I am a firm believer in sleeping early.
- stand firm
- The union decided to stand firm on wages.
- law firm
- She joined a law firm after graduating.
- firm up
- Let us firm up the details tomorrow.
Synonyms and how they differ
- solid
- Solid describes something with no hollow or soft part, while firm describes how much it gives under pressure.
- resolute
- Resolute is a formal word for determination, whereas firm can be gentle or everyday.
- company
- Company is the general word for a business, while firm often suggests a smaller professional practice.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: firm or farm?
firm vs farm
A farm grows crops or animals, while a firm is a business.
Practice
My cousin works at an accounting ____ in Chicago.
Choose one answer.
A firm is a professional business. Farm and form look similar but have different meanings, and fern is a plant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “firm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.