firm

«firm» in Mova's school dictionary: Solid and not soft; hard to press in or move: a firm… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adjective (firm, firmer, firmest); noun (a firm, firms); adverb (firmly)

meaning for a pupil

1) Solid and not soft; hard to press in or move: a firm mattress, firm ground. tree →

2) Strong and steady: a firm grip, a firm handshake. tree →

3) Not likely to change; definite: a firm decision, a firm friend. tree →

4) Strict but fair: a firm teacher. tree →

5) As a noun, a firm is a company or business. tree →

sense in the lessons

In first aid, apply firm pressure to a bleeding cut. In everyday safety, keep a firm grip on handrails and ladders, and stand on firm ground, not soft mud or thin ice. In science, firmness describes materials: a firm jelly has set. In stories, a "firm voice" shows someone is serious. In business studies, a firm employs workers and sells goods. Phrases: "firm grip", "stand firm" (not give in), "firm favourite", "firm friends", "hold firmly".

examples

• Hold the rail firmly on the stairs. tree →
• Press firmly on the cut to stop the bleeding. tree →
• The jelly is firm now, so we can eat it. tree →
• Our teacher is firm but fair. tree →
• The pears aren't ripe yet; they're still firm. tree →
• We stayed on firm ground away from the bog. tree →
• My dad works for a law firm. tree →
• Pizza is a firm favourite in our house. tree →
• The boy stood firm and still. tree →

note

Comparison: firm, firmer, firmest. Adverb: firmly. "Firm" (adjective) is about being solid or definite; "firm" (noun) is a business — the same spelling, different meaning. Opposite: soft, loose, weak.

In the corpora

• A good judge would hold firm and explain why.
• Water inside plant cells pushes outwards and keeps stems firm, like air in a balloon; without enough water the plant wilts.
• The water is freezing; the Mole sinks, comes up spluttering, sinks again — until a firm paw grabs his neck.
• «a firm paw gripped him by the back of his neck.
• "Sunsetting" means ending or discontinuing a product: the firm stops making or running it.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «firm» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.