stubborn

adjective

stub·born ˈstə-bərn How to pronounce stubborn (audio)

a(1)

: unreasonably or perversely unyielding : mulish

(2)

: justifiably unyielding : resolute

: suggestive or typical of a strong stubborn nature

a stubborn jaw

: performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner

stubborn effort

: difficult to handle, manage, or treat

a stubborn cold

: lasting

stubborn facts

stubbornly adverb

stubbornness

ˈstə-bər(n)-nəs How to pronounce stubborn (audio)

noun

Did you know?

Stubborn as a Mule (Or Some Other Animal)

Most of us are familiar with the expression stubborn as a mule, which some feel is unfair to this hybrid animal. In fairness to the mule, let us look at some of the other animals that the English language has seen fit to equate with stubbornness over the years. John Wolcot wrote of being “as stubborn as a halter’d ram.” In the 19th century satirical work The Family of the Seisers, a character is described as being “as stubborn as a dog-fish.” And a character in Maria Edgeworth’s play Love and Law describes her own hair as “stubborn as a Presbyterian.” These curious phrases are, however, exceptional: the mule is by far the most commonly referenced animal when describing stubbornness. We have been using as stubborn as a mule since at least 1771, when the expression appears in Tobias Smollett’s The Expedition of Humphry Clinker.

Example Sentences

Louise was not the first to posit the idea of a miniature horse ancestral to the Arab; but she was the only one stubborn enough to prove it.

Jason Elliot, Mirrors of the Unseen, 2006 To remove stubborn price tags from items like dishes and glassware, I use a cotton pad or Q-tip soaked with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol dissolves the sticky glue and doesn't mess up my manicure.

Kathe Palmucci, Real Simple, April 2003 In the search for strategies to deal with the stubborn and deadly problem of driving under the influence, many cops are turning to an unusual tactic: Recruiting volunteer drinkers and drug users to teach officers to recognize impaired drivers.

Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, 29 Oct. 2002 She's wrong, but she's too stubborn to admit it. I admire his stubborn refusal to quit. trying to treat a stubborn infection See More

Recent Examples on the Web What’s amazing is how stubborn the brain is in its fallibility.

Matthew Hutson, WSJ, 7 Aug. 2022 The husband has been having an affair for 20 years and is sometimes needlessly stubborn.

Washington Post, 5 May 2022 As rural areas continue to struggle with hospitalizations, scientists and officials have long hoped full government approval of a COVID-19 vaccine would help allay stubborn concerns.

Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2021 Polish auteur’s Jerzy Skolimowski’s latest film, EO, which follows the adventures of a mule who is stubborn and wise and free-spirited, has been chosen by Poland as its contender for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2022 Kyle Schwarber will catch a groove and muscle his way to the finals, but the stubborn and powerful Alonso will prove too formidable to dislodge.

USA TODAY, 18 July 2022 Eager to extinguish the stubborn and smoky Marsh Fire burning in Pittsburg and Bay Point for 6½ weeks, firefighters are considering flooding the wetlands area where the blaze continues to burn in decayed vegetation.

Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 July 2022 Leia at 10 years old is fearless, stubborn and wise beyond her years.

Tracy Brownstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2022 The giant trevally, a stubborn and powerful apex predator, is one of Hawai‘i’s most coveted game fish.

Abe Musselman, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 June 2022 See More

stubborn

adjective

as in adamant

sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion he's just being stubborn, refusing even to try the new toothpaste

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of stubborn are dogged, mulish, obstinate, and pertinacious. While all these words mean "fixed and unyielding in course or purpose," stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable.

a person too stubborn to admit error

The meanings of dogged and stubborn largely overlap; however, dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence.

pursued the story with dogged perseverance

Although the words mulish and stubborn have much in common, mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy.

a mulish determination to have his own way

The synonyms obstinate and stubborn are sometimes interchangeable, but obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence.

an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

While in some cases nearly identical to stubborn, pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence.

a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

单词	stubborn
释义	stubborn adjective stub·born ˈstə-bərn 1 a(1) : unreasonably or perversely unyielding : mulish (2) : justifiably unyielding : resolute b : suggestive or typical of a strong stubborn nature a stubborn jaw 2 : performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner stubborn effort 3 : difficult to handle, manage, or treat a stubborn cold 4 : lasting stubborn facts stubbornly adverb stubbornness ˈstə-bər(n)-nəs noun Did you know? Stubborn as a Mule (Or Some Other Animal) Most of us are familiar with the expression stubborn as a mule, which some feel is unfair to this hybrid animal. In fairness to the mule, let us look at some of the other animals that the English language has seen fit to equate with stubbornness over the years. John Wolcot wrote of being “as stubborn as a halter’d ram.” In the 19th century satirical work The Family of the Seisers, a character is described as being “as stubborn as a dog-fish.” And a character in Maria Edgeworth’s play Love and Law describes her own hair as “stubborn as a Presbyterian.” These curious phrases are, however, exceptional: the mule is by far the most commonly referenced animal when describing stubbornness. We have been using as stubborn as a mule since at least 1771, when the expression appears in Tobias Smollett’s The Expedition of Humphry Clinker. Synonyms adamant adamantine bullheaded dogged hard hard-nosed hardened hardheaded headstrong immovable implacable inconvincible inflexible intransigent mulish obdurate obstinate opinionated ossified pat pertinacious perverse pigheaded self-opinionated self-willed stiff-necked unbending uncompromising unrelenting unyielding willful wilful See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Louise was not the first to posit the idea of a miniature horse ancestral to the Arab; but she was the only one stubborn enough to prove it. Jason Elliot, Mirrors of the Unseen, 2006 To remove stubborn price tags from items like dishes and glassware, I use a cotton pad or Q-tip soaked with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol dissolves the sticky glue and doesn't mess up my manicure. Kathe Palmucci, Real Simple, April 2003 In the search for strategies to deal with the stubborn and deadly problem of driving under the influence, many cops are turning to an unusual tactic: Recruiting volunteer drinkers and drug users to teach officers to recognize impaired drivers. Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, 29 Oct. 2002 She's wrong, but she's too stubborn to admit it. I admire his stubborn refusal to quit. trying to treat a stubborn infection See More Recent Examples on the Web What’s amazing is how stubborn the brain is in its fallibility. Matthew Hutson, WSJ, 7 Aug. 2022 The husband has been having an affair for 20 years and is sometimes needlessly stubborn. Washington Post, 5 May 2022 As rural areas continue to struggle with hospitalizations, scientists and officials have long hoped full government approval of a COVID-19 vaccine would help allay stubborn concerns. Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2021 Polish auteur’s Jerzy Skolimowski’s latest film, EO, which follows the adventures of a mule who is stubborn and wise and free-spirited, has been chosen by Poland as its contender for best international feature at the 2023 Academy Awards. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2022 Kyle Schwarber will catch a groove and muscle his way to the finals, but the stubborn and powerful Alonso will prove too formidable to dislodge. USA TODAY, 18 July 2022 Eager to extinguish the stubborn and smoky Marsh Fire burning in Pittsburg and Bay Point for 6½ weeks, firefighters are considering flooding the wetlands area where the blaze continues to burn in decayed vegetation. Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 July 2022 Leia at 10 years old is fearless, stubborn and wise beyond her years. Tracy Brownstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2022 The giant trevally, a stubborn and powerful apex predator, is one of Hawai‘i’s most coveted game fish. Abe Musselman, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English stibourne, stuborn First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1) Phrases Containing stubborn (as) stubborn as a mule stubborn streak (as) stubborn as a mule stubborn streak Kids Definition stubborn adjective stub·born ˈstə-bərn 1 : refusing to change an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or urging She's too stubborn to ask for help. 2 : persistent a stubborn cough 3 : difficult to handle, manage, or treat a stubborn stain stubborn adjective as in adamant sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion he's just being stubborn, refusing even to try the new toothpaste Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance adamant obstinate steadfast hardened intransigent headstrong obdurate hardheaded wilful mulish unbending willful opinionated implacable pigheaded bullheaded unyielding obsessive inflexible uncompromising immovable pertinacious persistent unrelenting dogged hard determined adamantine pat self-willed stiff-necked ossified hard-nosed strict perverse tenacious relentless self-opinionated defiant inconvincible wayward rigid cantankerous iron stern severe unflinching recalcitrant uncooperative wrongheaded inexorable resolved intractable disobedient deaf to reason hidebound unruly single-minded indomitable bloody-minded contumacious mutinous unmanageable insubordinate firm unconquerable contrary stouthearted refractory anal-retentive invincible narrow-minded inveterate hard-line ungovernable cussed hard-shelled hell-bent froward unregenerate insurgent demanding exacting set confirmed hard-shell Antonyms & Near Antonyms flexible obedient docile pliable acquiescent compliant amenable agreeable submissive pliant tractable complying willing receptive yielding responsive placable accepting relenting reasonable persuadable temperate subservient slavish manageable governable See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of stubborn are dogged, mulish, obstinate, and pertinacious. While all these words mean "fixed and unyielding in course or purpose," stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable. a person too stubborn to admit error The meanings of dogged and stubborn largely overlap; however, dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence. pursued the story with dogged perseverance Although the words mulish and stubborn have much in common, mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy. a mulish determination to have his own way The synonyms obstinate and stubborn are sometimes interchangeable, but obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence. an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories While in some cases nearly identical to stubborn, pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence. a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer
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stubborn

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing stubborn

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser