Muggins is tentatively keeping resolute (9)
I believe the answer is:
insistent
'resolute' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'muggins is tentatively keeping' is the wordplay.
'keeping' indicates a hidden word.
'INSISTENT' is hidden in the letters of 'muggins is tentatively'.
(Other definitions for insistent that I've seen before include "Emphatic" , "Refusing to be thwarted" , "Not giving up" , "Compelling attention" , "Unwilling to take "no" for an answer" .)