Meaning
To refuse to change your opinion, decision or principles despite pressure or criticism.
Origin
Guns originally refers to firearms, and the phrase evokes a person remaining at their assigned weapons or position despite danger. The military image later became a metaphor for defending a judgment or principle under pressure. In modern English, it need not imply physical conflict: someone may stick to their guns in a meeting, a family dispute or a moral dilemma. Depending on context, the quality can be praised as integrity or criticized as stubbornness. The exact path from literal military language to the established idiom is best treated cautiously unless supported by dated historical attestations.
Examples
Everyone disagreed, but she stuck to her guns.
He stuck to his guns and refused the offer.
Sometimes you have to stick to your guns.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Stick to your guns' mean?
To refuse to change your opinion, decision or principles despite pressure or criticism.