standfast means one who stands firm, resisting assault or pressure. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why this word is great
STANDFAST — [Noun] One who stands firm, resisting assault or pressure. A deverbal from the English phrase ‘stand fast’, from ‘stand’ (to take or maintain an upright position) and ‘fast’ (firmly, fixedly). Unlike “steadfast” (which adjectivizes unwavering loyalty) or “immovable” (which denotes a static, inert quality), a standfast is the personified act of rooted resistance itself. It is the lone soldier at the breached gate, the ancient oak that splits the plowshare, the lighthouse keeper trimming his wick in the rising gale—a fixed point against which the world’s pressure is measured and, for a moment, defeated.
noun
- One who stands firm, resisting assault or pressure.“Surely there was a conscious weakness in the Spartans, who were always at pains to discipline their men in heroical conduct, and rewarded none save the standfasts.”