diehard /(dī"härd`)/

die·hard

diehard

n.
  1. one who stubbornly adheres to traditional and outdated views.
  2. one who vigorously defends an apparently hopeless position, a lost cause, etc.

diehard

a.
  1. stubbornly and vigorously resisting in the face of seemingly hopeless odds; as, diehard opposition.