WebFeb 1, 2019 · As the hyphen (-) indicates, the word diehard is formed by combining two existing words, die and hard. Literally, die-hards are people who are hard to change. Their ideas are strong and fixed. Savor “die” and “hard” a little bit and you’ll probably get some idea. Die, as in die and cease to exist; hard as in hard (difficult) to move.