obstinate

adjective

ob·sti·nate ˈäb-stə-nət How to pronounce obstinate (audio)

: stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion

obstinate resistance to change

: not easily subdued, remedied, or removed

obstinate fever

obstinately adverb

obstinateness noun

Did you know?

If you're obstinate, you're just plain stubborn. Obstinate, dogged, stubborn, and mulish all mean that someone is unwilling to change course or give up a belief or plan. Obstinate suggests an unreasonable persistence; it's often a negative word. Dogged implies that someone goes after something without ever tiring or quitting; it can be more positive. Stubborn indicates a resistance to change, which may or may not be admirable. Someone who displays a really unreasonable degree of stubbornness could accurately be described as mulish.

Example Sentences

More than 30 cities had sued the gun industry for the costs of violence on their streets. Cuomo had brashly stepped into the legal swamp, hoping he could be the guy to force concessions from an obstinate industry.

Matt Bai, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2001 With The New York Times calling Klein "a weak nominee" and editorializing that the administration should withdraw him, and with his opponents obstinate and apparently committed, he seemed for a moment to be in serious trouble.

John Heilemann, Wired, November 2000 What did they know of life? All they knew was how to parrot the stock phrases of their profession and to continue to be obstinate until somebody, somewhere, paid up.

Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, 1998 When my father finished telling the story, he looked at me, then looked away. A moment of silence lodged between us, an old and obstinate silence.

Bernard Cooper, Harper's, August 1992 his obstinate refusal to obey My parents remain as obstinate as ever. See More

Recent Examples on the Web While many Big Tech companies have fought the right-to-repair movement, opposing dozens of state and federal bills that would force manufacturers to sell necessary repair items to customers, Apple has a reputation for being particularly obstinate.

Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2021 Sadly, many Western politicians and intellectuals remain obstinate.

Alexander William Salter, National Review, 22 July 2021 There was nothing stopping the NCAA from working toward a compromise and avoid running afoul of this Supreme Court case; its decision to fight now looks obstinate and misguided.

Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 June 2021 Ed remains obstinate, but the other guys keep them from coming to blows.

Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 18 Nov. 2020 Many less attractive traits are also recorded: Charles could be uncommunicative and dilatory, evasive and mendacious, refractory, vindictive, obstinate, even outright wicked, though self-delusive about the motives of others.

R.j.w. Evans, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020 Zelenskiy and Ukraine may be facing a similarly sensitive and obstinate government to the one the country confronted over the 2014 incident.

Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2020 Since the first cases here were diagnosed nearly five weeks ago, an obstinate equanimity has prevailed.

Arthur Longworth, The New York Review of Books, 12 Apr. 2020 And the obstinate idiosyncrasies of his music were at times judged even more harshly.

Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2020 See More

obstinate

adjective

as in stubborn

sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion the child was obstinate about wanting that specific toy, despite being offered several others

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stubborn
adamant
steadfast
wilful
hardened
obdurate
implacable
intransigent
willful
unbending
pertinacious
headstrong
unyielding
mulish
opinionated
uncompromising
obsessive
inflexible
pigheaded
unrelenting
hardheaded
immovable
persistent
bullheaded
dogged
adamantine
hard
ossified
pat
perverse
determined
self-willed
stiff-necked
strict
relentless
hard-nosed
inconvincible
self-opinionated
tenacious
defiant
stern
iron
severe
unflinching
resolved
inexorable
wayward
rigid
contumacious
wrongheaded
cantankerous
uncooperative
disobedient
hidebound
recalcitrant
deaf to reason
intractable
refractory
insubordinate
unruly
indomitable
mutinous
unmanageable
unconquerable
bloody-minded
inveterate
firm
single-minded
contrary
invincible
cussed
stouthearted
unregenerate
froward
ungovernable
narrow-minded
insurgent
anal-retentive
demanding
hell-bent
hard-shelled
set
hard-line
confirmed
exacting
hard-shell

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

acquiescent
agreeable
docile
obedient
pliable
amenable
pliant
complying
flexible
submissive
compliant
tractable
yielding
placable
accepting
relenting
responsive
receptive
willing
temperate
reasonable
persuadable
slavish
subservient
manageable
governable

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of obstinate are dogged, mulish, pertinacious, and stubborn. While all these words mean "fixed and unyielding in course or purpose," obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence.

an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

The words dogged and obstinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence.

pursued the story with dogged perseverance

The synonyms mulish and obstinate are sometimes interchangeable, but mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy.

a mulish determination to have his own way

In some situations, the words pertinacious and obstinate are roughly equivalent. However, pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence.

a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

The meanings of stubborn and obstinate largely overlap; however, stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable.

a person too stubborn to admit error

单词	obstinate
释义	obstinate adjective ob·sti·nate ˈäb-stə-nət 1 : stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion obstinate resistance to change 2 : not easily subdued, remedied, or removed obstinate fever obstinately adverb obstinateness noun Did you know? If you're obstinate, you're just plain stubborn. Obstinate, dogged, stubborn, and mulish all mean that someone is unwilling to change course or give up a belief or plan. Obstinate suggests an unreasonable persistence; it's often a negative word. Dogged implies that someone goes after something without ever tiring or quitting; it can be more positive. Stubborn indicates a resistance to change, which may or may not be admirable. Someone who displays a really unreasonable degree of stubbornness could accurately be described as mulish. Synonyms adamant adamantine bullheaded dogged hard hardened hardheaded hard-nosed headstrong immovable implacable inconvincible inflexible intransigent mulish obdurate opinionated ossified pat pertinacious perverse pigheaded self-opinionated self-willed stiff-necked stubborn unbending uncompromising unrelenting unyielding willful wilful See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences More than 30 cities had sued the gun industry for the costs of violence on their streets. Cuomo had brashly stepped into the legal swamp, hoping he could be the guy to force concessions from an obstinate industry. Matt Bai, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2001 With The New York Times calling Klein "a weak nominee" and editorializing that the administration should withdraw him, and with his opponents obstinate and apparently committed, he seemed for a moment to be in serious trouble. John Heilemann, Wired, November 2000 What did they know of life? All they knew was how to parrot the stock phrases of their profession and to continue to be obstinate until somebody, somewhere, paid up. Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, 1998 When my father finished telling the story, he looked at me, then looked away. A moment of silence lodged between us, an old and obstinate silence. Bernard Cooper, Harper's, August 1992 his obstinate refusal to obey My parents remain as obstinate as ever. See More Recent Examples on the Web While many Big Tech companies have fought the right-to-repair movement, opposing dozens of state and federal bills that would force manufacturers to sell necessary repair items to customers, Apple has a reputation for being particularly obstinate. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2021 Sadly, many Western politicians and intellectuals remain obstinate. Alexander William Salter, National Review, 22 July 2021 There was nothing stopping the NCAA from working toward a compromise and avoid running afoul of this Supreme Court case; its decision to fight now looks obstinate and misguided. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 June 2021 Ed remains obstinate, but the other guys keep them from coming to blows. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 18 Nov. 2020 Many less attractive traits are also recorded: Charles could be uncommunicative and dilatory, evasive and mendacious, refractory, vindictive, obstinate, even outright wicked, though self-delusive about the motives of others. R.j.w. Evans, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020 Zelenskiy and Ukraine may be facing a similarly sensitive and obstinate government to the one the country confronted over the 2014 incident. Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2020 Since the first cases here were diagnosed nearly five weeks ago, an obstinate equanimity has prevailed. Arthur Longworth, The New York Review of Books, 12 Apr. 2020 And the obstinate idiosyncrasies of his music were at times judged even more harshly. Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2020 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, from Anglo-French obstinat, Latin obstinatus, past participle of obstinare to be resolved, from ob- in the way + -stinare (akin to stare to stand) First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition obstinate adjective ob·sti·nate ˈäb-stə-nət 1 : sticking stubbornly to an opinion or purpose 2 : difficult to deal with or get rid of an obstinate fever Medical Definition obstinate adjective ob·sti·nate ˈäb-stə-nət 1 : adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion 2 : not easily subdued, remedied, or removed obstinate fever obstinate adjective as in stubborn sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion the child was obstinate about wanting that specific toy, despite being offered several others Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance stubborn adamant steadfast wilful hardened obdurate implacable intransigent willful unbending pertinacious headstrong unyielding mulish opinionated uncompromising obsessive inflexible pigheaded unrelenting hardheaded immovable persistent bullheaded dogged adamantine hard ossified pat perverse determined self-willed stiff-necked strict relentless hard-nosed inconvincible self-opinionated tenacious defiant stern iron severe unflinching resolved inexorable wayward rigid contumacious wrongheaded cantankerous uncooperative disobedient hidebound recalcitrant deaf to reason intractable refractory insubordinate unruly indomitable mutinous unmanageable unconquerable bloody-minded inveterate firm single-minded contrary invincible cussed stouthearted unregenerate froward ungovernable narrow-minded insurgent anal-retentive demanding hell-bent hard-shelled set hard-line confirmed exacting hard-shell Antonyms & Near Antonyms acquiescent agreeable docile obedient pliable amenable pliant complying flexible submissive compliant tractable yielding placable accepting relenting responsive receptive willing temperate reasonable persuadable slavish subservient manageable governable See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of obstinate are dogged, mulish, pertinacious, and stubborn. While all these words mean "fixed and unyielding in course or purpose," obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence. an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories The words dogged and obstinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence. pursued the story with dogged perseverance The synonyms mulish and obstinate are sometimes interchangeable, but mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy. a mulish determination to have his own way In some situations, the words pertinacious and obstinate are roughly equivalent. However, pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence. a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer The meanings of stubborn and obstinate largely overlap; however, stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable. a person too stubborn to admit error
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obstinate

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser