obstinate

[ ob-stuh-nit ]

adjective

1. firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

   Synonyms: pertinacious, refractory, inflexible, perverse, intractable, unbending, unyielding, obdurate, mulish

   Antonyms: tractable, submissive

2. characterized by inflexible persistence or an unyielding attitude; inflexibly persisted in or carried out:

   obstinate advocacy of high tariffs.

3. not easily controlled or overcome:

   the obstinate growth of weeds.

4. not yielding readily to treatment, as a disease.

obstinate

/ ˈɒbstɪnɪt /

adjective

1. adhering fixedly to a particular opinion, attitude, course of action, etc
2. self-willed or headstrong
3. difficult to subdue or alleviate; persistent

   an obstinate fever

Derived Forms

• ˈobstinately, adverb

Other Words From

• obsti·nate·ly adverb
• obsti·nate·ness noun
• super·obsti·nate adjective
• super·obsti·nate·ly adverb
• super·obsti·nate·ness noun
• un·obsti·nate adjective
• un·obsti·nate·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of obstinate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin obstinātus (past participle of obstināre “to set one's mind on, be determined”), equivalent to ob- ob- + -stin-, combining form of stan- (derivative of stāre “to stand,” stand ) + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of obstinate¹

C14: from Latin obstinātus, past participle of obstināre to persist in, from ob- (intensive) + stin-, variant of stare to stand

Synonym Study

See stubborn.

Example Sentences

"Lai Ching-te's Taiwan independence fallacy is just old wine in a new bottle, and again exposes his obstinate stance on Taiwan independence and his sinister intentions of escalating hostility and confrontation," said the statement from China's Taiwan Affairs Office.

From BBC

"Depending what mood I was in, or what mood he was in, I would think of a word that he might have been that day, like obstinate," he laughed.

From BBC

He also accused Hamas of being "obstinate" in negotiations and called for further pressure to be applied on the militant group.

From BBC

She represented this neighborhood during her 16 years on the City Council, and has little patience for obstinate bureaucracy.

From Los Angeles Times

He excelled at convincing even the obstinate to trust him.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adamant
• dogmatic
• headstrong
• inflexible
• intransigent
• recalcitrant
• steadfast
• tenacious
• unyielding
• willful