firm

• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɜɹm/, [fɝm]

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɜːm/

  • Audio (UK):

    (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m

From Italian firma (“signature”), from firmare (“to sign”), from Latin firmāre (“to make firm, to confirm (by signature)”), from firmus (“firm, stable”). The contemporary sense developed in the 18th century simultaneously with German Firma (“business, name of business”). There are conflicting statements in the literature as to which of the two languages influenced which. Doublet of dharma and dhamma. Other cognates include Russian держать (deržatʹ, “to hold”).

firm (plural firms)

1. (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
2. (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:enterprise

   • 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:

     Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. […] Banks and credit-card firms are kept out of the picture. Talk to enough people in the field and someone is bound to mention the “democratisation of finance”.

3. (slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

From Middle English ferme, from Old French ferme, from Latin firmus (“strong, steady”). Doublet of dharma.

firm (comparative firmer, superlative firmest)

1. Steadfast, secure, solid (in position)

   It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.

2. Fixed (in opinion).

   a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent

   firm favourites

   • 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph‎^[1]:

     With such constant off-field turmoil Hughton’s work has been remarkable and this may have been his last game in charge. West Bromwich Albion, searching for a replacement for Roy Hodgson, are firm admirers.

3. Insistent upon something, not accepting dissent.

   He wanted to stay overnight, but I was firm with him and said he had to leave today.

4. Durable, rigid (material state).

   firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)

5. Mentally resistant to hurt or stress.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XVIII, page 30:

     […] The life that almost dies in me:
     That dies not, but endures with pain,
     ⁠And slowly forms the firmer mind,
     ⁠Treasuring the look it cannot find,
     The words that are not heard again.

6. Not frivolous or fallacious; trustworthy; solid; dependable.
   • 1988 April 23, Elizabeth Pincus, “Moving To Meet The Needs Of Women In The Age Of AIDS”, in Gay Community News, page 7:

     Although facilitators of the workshop for lesbians and bisexual women attempted to address the concerns of lesbians, little firm information emerged.

   • 1999, Lucinda Dirven, The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos:

     None of the Aramaic inscriptions from the Hellenistic and Roman period that are cited in support of this hypothesis that divine messengers are identified with their sender provide any firm proof to this respect.

firm (comparative more firm, superlative most firm)

1. (now rare) firmly, steadily

From Middle English fermen (“to make firm”), partly from (either through Old French fermer or directly) Latin firmō, from firmus (“firm”, adjective), and partly a new formation on the adjective.^[1]

firm (third-person singular simple present firms, present participle firming, simple past and past participle firmed)

1. (transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.
2. (transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
3. (intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.
4. (intransitive) To improve after decline.
5. (intransitive, Australia) To shorten (of betting odds).
6. (transitive, colloquial) To grit one's teeth and bear; to push through something unpleasant.

   I know you aren't feeling well, but just firm it.

7. (transitive, UK, slang) To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.

• firming agent

• Firm in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

• FRIM, fMRI, frim

From English firm.

firm (Hong Kong Cantonese)

1. (of muscles) firm; strong; solid
   • 2006 July 6, “劉綽琪豐胸要襯身形”, in 東方日報‎^[2]:

     她說：「而家33C，size OK，但想再firm啲，不過亞洲女性唔可以好似鬼妹咁大，最緊要襯身形。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     她说：「而家33C，size OK，但想再firm啲，不过亚洲女性唔可以好似鬼妹咁大，最紧要衬身形。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     taa¹ syut³: “ji⁴ gaa¹ 33C, size OK, daan⁶ soeng² zoi³ foem¹ di¹, bat¹ gwo³ aa³ zau¹ neoi⁵ sing³ m⁴ ho² ji⁵ hou² ci⁵ gwai² mui^6-1 gam³ daai⁶, zeoi³ gan² jiu³ can³ san¹ jing⁴. [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2007 July 21, “王卉霖黃彥欣最投港男眼緣”, in 文匯報‎^[3], archived from the original on 2023-11-05:

     問到何以仍未修身，她表示：「我的三圍沒有變，但身形firm咗少少，體重無變唔緊要，最重要觀感OK。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     问到何以仍未修身，她表示：「我的三围没有变，但身形firm咗少少，体重无变唔紧要，最重要观感OK。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     man⁶ dou³ ho⁴ ji⁵ jing⁴ mei⁶ sau¹ san¹, taa¹ biu² si⁶: “ngo⁵ dik¹ saam¹ wai⁴ mut⁶ jau⁵ bin³, daan⁶ san¹ jing⁴ foem¹ zo² siu² siu², tai² cung⁵ mou⁵ bin³ m⁴ gan² jiu³, zeoi³ zung⁶ jiu³ gun¹ gam² ou¹ kei¹. [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. firm; insistent
3. (neologism) awesome; fantastic; amazing; terrific
   • 2023 October 23, 理攻 [PolyTactic]‎^[4], 紅磚社學生報編委會 [RBS PressCom], page 25:

     你想要最firm最warm嘅hall life？咁就要嚟民殷堂呢個大家庭喇！ [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     你想要最firm最warm嘅hall life？咁就要嚟民殷堂呢个大家庭喇！ [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     nei⁵ soeng² jiu³ zeoi³ foem¹ zeoi³ wom¹ ge³ ho¹ life? gam² zau⁶ jiu³ lai⁴ man⁴ jan¹ tong⁴ ni¹ go³ daai⁶ gaa¹ ting⁴ laa³! [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. (neologism, of relationship between friends) close; intimate
   • 2021, 吾見爾酒仙, “從酒聚看大學交際文化——是被接納抑或被同化？”, in 2021年 迎新特刊‎^[5], 中大學生報 [Chinese University Student Press], page 76:

     接納應該是接受和鼓勵與自身不一樣的特質，而不是要求人人成為倒模般的、「夠firm夠chur」的大學生。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     接纳应该是接受和鼓励与自身不一样的特质，而不是要求人人成为倒模般的、「够firm够chur」的大学生。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     zip³ naap⁶ jing¹ goi¹ si⁶ zip³ sau⁶ wo⁴ gu² lai⁶ jyu⁵ zi⁶ san¹ bat¹ jat¹ joeng⁶ dik¹ dak⁶ zat¹, ji⁴ bat¹ si⁶ jiu¹ kau⁴ jan⁴ jan⁴ sing⁴ wai⁴ dou² mou^4-2 bun¹ dik¹, “gau³ foem¹ gau³ coe²” dik¹ daai⁶ hok⁶ saang¹. [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

firm

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) firm; business (Classifier: 間／间 c)

Clipping of English confirm.

firm

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to confirm; to finalize
   • 2012, 邵家臻, 黃鈺螢, 感情用事：關於好戲量十年‎^[6], →ISBN, page 267:

     她接著道：「也有的，他們需要時間process，但我們那邊的細節常常都未firm，我明白他們的難處，但這也是沒有辦法的事。」 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     她接著道：「也有的，他们需要时间process，但我们那边的细节常常都未firm，我明白他们的难处，但这也是没有办法的事。」 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     taa¹ zip³ zoek⁶ dou⁶: “jaa⁵ jau⁵ dik¹, taa¹ mun⁴ seoi¹ jiu³ si⁴ gaan³ process, daan⁶ ngo⁵ mun⁴ naa⁵ bin¹ dik¹ sai³ zit³ soeng⁴ soeng⁴ dou¹ mei⁶ foem¹, ngo⁵ ming⁴ baak⁶ taa¹ mun⁴ dik¹ naan⁴ cyu³, daan⁶ ze² jaa⁵ si⁶ mut⁶ jau⁵ baan⁶ faat³ dik¹ si⁶.” [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2016, 于日辰, 倫敦金2‎^[7], →ISBN, page 212:

     我就同佢哋講咗您係佢哋直屬上司，菲密時都簽咗紙Firm咗㗎喇！ [Cantonese, trad.]
     我就同佢哋讲咗您系佢哋直属上司，菲密时都签咗纸Firm咗㗎喇！ [Cantonese, simp.]

     ngo⁵ zau⁶ tung⁴ keoi⁵ dei⁶ gong² zo² nei⁵ hai⁶ keoi⁵ dei⁶ zik⁶ suk⁶ soeng⁶ si¹, fei¹ mat⁶ si⁴ dou¹ cim¹ zo² zi² foem¹ zo² gaa³ laa³! [Jyutping]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

firm

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) sure; certain

• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

Borrowed from Latin firmus.

• IPA^(key): /fɪʁm/

• Audio:

  (file)

firm (strong nominative masculine singular firmer, comparative firmer, superlative am firmsten)

1. (somewhat dated) experienced, well versed

   Synonyms: erfahren, bewandert

   • 1976 March 12, Heidi Dürr, “Kunstkenner per Post?”, in Die Zeit‎^[8]:

     Er, der—laut Prospekt—wie alle Mitarbeiter “eine hohe fachliche Qualifikation” aufweist und die Gewähr dafür bietet, “daß Sie Ihr Studienziel erreichen, ein Kenner antiker Gegenstände zu werden”, ist nach eigener Aussage lediglich Fachmann für Malerei und Graphik. Auf anderen Gebieten sei er gar “nicht so firm”.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• firmen

• “firm” in Duden online
• “firm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

• IPA^(key): /ˈfirm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -irm
• Syllabification: firm

firm f

1. genitive plural of firma

Borrowed from Spanish firma.

firm

1. signature

• chgoꞌo firm
• choꞌo firm

Borrowed from Spanish firme.

firm

1. firm, fixed

• Long C., Rebecca, Cruz M., Sofronio (2000) Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)‎^[9] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 220