What does "adamantine" mean?
Synonym of adamantium (“a fictional metal which is indestructible or nearly so”).
Adamantine
/ˌædəˈmæntaɪn/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of adamantium (“a fictional metal which is indestructible or nearly so”).
- Grammar: adamantine is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: adamant, at a standstill, bulky, dense.
- Usage evidence: [A]t laſt appeer / Hell bounds high reaching to the horrid Roof, / And thrice threefold the Gates; three folds vvere Braſs, / Three iron, three of Adamantine Rock, / Impenitrable, impal'd vvith circling fire, / Yet unconsum'd.
How to use "adamantine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "adamantine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "adamantine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "adamantine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "adamantine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "adamantine" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adamant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "adamantine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Synonym of adamantium (“a fictional metal which is indestructible or nearly so”). also, attributive, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Synonym of adamant.; Made of adamant (“an unspecified mineral or rock of virtually impenetrable hardness”).
"[A]t laſt appeer / Hell bounds high reaching to the horrid Roof, / And thrice threefold the Gates; three folds vvere Braſs, / Three iron, three of Adamantine Rock, / Impenitrable, impal'd vvith circling fire, / Yet unconsum'd."
- 2 Synonym of adamant.; Incapable of being broken, dissolved, or penetrated; impenetrable, unbreakable. figuratively
"adamantine bonds adamantine chains"
- 3 Synonym of adamant.; Difficult to defeat or prevail over; unshakable, unyielding. figuratively
"For two hours they stand; [François Claude Amour, marquis de] Bouillé's sword glittering in his hand, adamantine resolution clouding his brows; […]"
- 4 Synonym of adamant.; Of a person: refusing to change one's mind; obstinate, stubborn. figuratively
"I thought this last information would soften the young man, but he was adamantine. He informed me that it was against all bank rules for a woman to draw from her husband's deposit without his order."
- 5 Synonym of adamant.; Having the quality of attracting or drawing; attractive, magnetic. figuratively, obsolete
"Embravvne your ſoft-skind encloſure vvith Adamantine duſt, that it may dravve nothing but ſteele vnto it."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Like diamond in lustre; bright, lustrous, shiny; also, of a lustre: like that of a mineral with a high refractive index such as diamond.
"Raspite, a new dimorphous form of lead tungstate, is found on some of the stolzite specimens as brownish or yellow monoclinic crystals with a strong adamantine lustre."
Adjective
- 1 impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason wordnet
- 2 having the hardness of a diamond wordnet
- 3 consisting of or having the hardness of adamant wordnet
Example
"[A]t laſt appeer / Hell bounds high reaching to the horrid Roof, / And thrice threefold the Gates; three folds vvere Braſs, / Three iron, three of Adamantine Rock, / Impenitrable, impal'd vvith circling fire, / Yet unconsum'd."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "adamantine"?
Common synonyms include: adamant, at a standstill, bulky, dense, dour, durable.
How do you use "adamantine" in a sentence?
[A]t laſt appeer / Hell bounds high reaching to the horrid Roof, / And thrice threefold the Gates; three folds vvere Braſs, / Three iron, three of Adamantine Rock, / Impenitrable, impal'd vvith circling fire, / Yet unconsum'd.
How do you pronounce "adamantine"?
Pronounced /ˌædəˈmæntaɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English adamantine, adamantyne, adamauntyn (“(adjective) of adamant; (noun) adamant”), from Anglo-Norman adamantin and Middle French adamantin (“of or resembling adamant or diamond”) (modern French adamantin), and from its etymon Latin adamantinus (“adamantine”), from Ancient Greek ἀδᾰμάντῐνος (adămántĭnos, “hard as adamant; made of steel”), from ᾰ̓δᾰμᾰντ- (ădămănt-) (a stem of ἀδάμᾱς (adámās, “the hardest metal (probably steel); diamond”), possibly originally Semitic) + -ῐνος (-ĭnos, suffix meaning ‘made of’ forming adjectives). By surface analysis, adamant + -ine (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Etymology 1 sense 1.2.4 (“having the quality of attracting or drawing”) and etymology 1 sense 2 (“like diamond in lustre; etc.”) refer to adamant (“(archaic) lodestone; (historical, poetic) diamond”).
Etymology 2
Possibly from adamantium + -ine (suffix forming the names of chemical substances or materials).