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obstinate

adjective
ob·​sti·​nate | \ ˈäb-stə-nət How to pronounce obstinate (audio) \

Definition of obstinate

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
Other Words from obstinate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about obstinate

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Other Words from obstinate

obstinately adverb
obstinateness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for obstinate

obstinate, dogged, stubborn, pertinacious, mulish mean fixed and unyielding in course or purpose. obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence. an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence. pursued the story with dogged perseverance stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable. a person too stubborn to admit error pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence. a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy. a mulish determination to have his own way

Examples of obstinate in a Sentence

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 This début novel flits from 1941 to 1987, charting the life of Knot, a smart, obstinate woman in her twenties who teaches school in a mostly African-American town in North Carolina. — Douglas Preston, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 27 Aug. 2019 Perhaps more importantly, Pelosi’s words follow the Trump administration’s obstinate refusal to give an inch on the numerous investigations Congress is attempting to conduct. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "If Trump Belongs in Jail, Democrats Should Impeach Him," 6 June 2019 Since obstinate listing agents of this ilk do not care about their online reputation, your neighbor must hire a real estate attorney who does. — Pat Kapowich, The Mercury News, "Sponsored: Are paying a fee or waiting a few months the only options to ending a contract?," 6 June 2019 Within 20 minutes, Lucy Dacus got me to take another look at my obstinate stance against the concept of unconditional love. — Allure, "Musician Lucy Dacus Opens Up About Body Image, Her Moms, and More in New Interview," 24 Apr. 2019 As two tiny eyes peer out from beneath the shell, short tentacles tickle the air, revealing a certain obstinate charm. — Degen Pener, Los Angeles Magazine, "What’s Being Done to Revive L.A.’s Decimated Abalone Population," 22 June 2018 The process went smoothly until an obstinate 19th-century steamer trunk refused to open and reveal its insides. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "Don't miss your flight looking at this cool vintage luggage at the Indianapolis Airport," 22 May 2018 The Dems just want to be obstinate at the cost to America. — Fox News, "Ingraham: How to defeat the swamp's efforts to take down Trump's nominees," 20 Apr. 2018 So the White House will have to weigh whether Pruitt can still advance the ball for the Trump agenda against the obstinate questions about his ethics. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Every legal and ethical investigation into the EPA’s Scott Pruitt we know of so far," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obstinate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of obstinate

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for obstinate

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)

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More Definitions for obstinate

obstinate

adjective
How to pronounce obstinate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of obstinate

: refusing to change your behavior or your ideas
: difficult to deal with, remove, etc.

See the full definition for obstinate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

obstinate

adjective

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