held fast

Verb

hold fast (third-person singular simple present holds fast, present participle holding fast, simple past and past participle held fast)

1. (idiomatic) To stubbornly resist assault, pressure or opposition, either physically or mentally.
   • And now, while both elastic gunwales were springing in and out, as the whale dallied with the doomed craft in this devilish way; and from his body being submerged beneath the boat, he could not be darted at from the bows, for the bows were almost inside of him, as it were; and while the other boats...1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick

   Synonyms:

   hold firm, hold hard, hold one's ground, stand firm, stand fast, stand one's ground

   Antonyms:

   let go, leave go, leave hold

2. A formal command to a ship's crew to grasp and hold on to a solid fitting, such as ropes or rails, to avoid being swept overboard, especially during a storm.
   • All hands...hold fast!

   Synonyms:

   hold hard