refractory
Americanadjective
-
hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient.
a refractory child.
- Synonyms:
- ungovernable, recalcitrant, disobedient, intractable, headstrong, mulish, perverse, obstinate
-
resisting ordinary methods of treatment.
-
difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal.
noun
-
a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.
-
refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.
adjective
-
unmanageable or obstinate
-
med not responding to treatment
-
(of a material) able to withstand high temperatures without fusion or decomposition
noun
-
Having a high melting point. Ceramics that are made from clay and minerals are often refractory, as are metal oxides and carbides. Refractory materials are often used as liners in furnaces.
-
Resistant to heat.
-
Of or relating to a refractory period.
Related Words
See unruly.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of refractory
First recorded in 1600–10; variant of refractary (by analogy with adjectives in -ory 1 ), from Latin refrāctārius “stubborn, obstinate,” equivalent to refrāct(us) ( see refract) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
Imagine yourself pulling a dog who doesn't want to walk. The dog is refractory, or stubbornly resisting your authority. The word refractory comes from a Latin word meaning "obstinate" and can also be used to mean "not responsive to something." If you have a cold you can't shake, you could say you have a refractory cough. The word can also be used to describe a material that maintains its strength at very high heats. The outside of a space shuttle is made of refractory material, so that it can reenter the atmosphere without burning up.
Vocabulary lists containing refractory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The findings were published in the International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials and are scheduled to appear in the journal's April 2026 print issue.
From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026
Less joyful are the Laws against Refractory Priests; and yet no less needful!
From The French Revolution by Carlyle, Thomas
Refractory bishops and priests were punished in various ways.
From Outline of Universal History by Fisher, George Park
A couple of days after, I went to the "Refractory building," under special charge of Dr. Beemer, and through the wards pretty thoroughly, both the men's and women's.
From Complete Prose Works Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Goodbye My Fancy by Whitman, Walt
The Treatment of Refractory Ores.—A new process for the extraction of metal from refractory ore.—1 illustration.
From Scientific American Supplement No. 819, September 12, 1891 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
