bullheaded

American  

[bool-hed-id] / ˈbʊlˈhɛd ɪd /

adjective

1. obstinately opinionated, especially in refusing to consider alternatives; stubborn.

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Other Word Forms

• bullheadedly adverb
• bullheadedness noun

Etymology

Origin of bullheaded

First recorded in 1810–20; bull ¹ + head + -ed ³

Explanation

If someone complains that you're bullheaded, they mean you're impossibly stubborn. Your bullheaded dog may refuse to jump in your car, not budging an inch no matter how hard you pull on her leash. When you call someone bullheaded, you're commenting on their obstinate nature, and maybe implying that they're not very smart. Your bullheaded friend probably tends to act without thinking. The word dates from the early 19th century, from the idea that a bull charges forward with strength and determination, but without any thought or contemplation.

Example Sentences

Patterson should have died from a nasty superbug picked up in Egypt in 2015 — except Patterson is married to bullheaded epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee.

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2024

“This notion of bullheaded romantic persistence is a recurring cultural touchstone—countless movies, music and books celebrate the heroics of steadfast pursuit with admiration,” Valsthein says.

From Scientific American • Jul. 26, 2023

Their stumbling but bullheaded progress — they’re like low-rent cousins of Edward G. Robinson in “Double Indemnity” — is one of the show’s clever comic storytelling devices.

From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2022

Of course, Swift’s persistence and evolution as a songwriter and performer since then has muted those mutterings except among the most bullheaded snobs.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2021

"A smart boy, but stubborn. That helm ... the others call him bullheaded, so he threw it in their teeth."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin