True-blue
adj.kind, resilientwarm
What it means
Unwaveringly loyal, sincere, and dependable.
Reach for it when giving affectionate, slightly old-fashioned praise to proven loyalty
Her true-blue friends repaired the studio before she returned from hospital.
Choose between these
6- playful
dyed-in-the-wool
when deep, longstanding allegiance suits an idiom
not when That phrase can suggest stubborn ideology rather than dependable friendship.
- everyday
when dependable allegiance should be stated plainly
not when Loyal is neutral and lacks true-blue's colorful warmth.
- warm
when constancy in relationship or duty is central
not when Faithful may carry religious or romantic associations.
- professional
when firm support for a cause or ally is visible
not when Staunch sounds political and harder-edged than true-blue.
- formal
when loyalty remains firm under pressure
not when Steadfast can describe commitment to an idea without a personal bond.
- literary
when enduring affection deserves restrained elegance
not when Constant is uncommon for people in everyday speech and may mean merely continuous.
Said against
3- disloyal
- fickle
- treacherous
It naturally appears in
3- true-blue friend
A true-blue friend, Lina corrected him privately and defended him fairly.
- true-blue supporter
The true-blue supporter attended matches through three losing seasons.
- remain true-blue
They remained true-blue to the cooperative when a buyer offered easy money.