intractable
Americanadjective
-
not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate.
an intractable disposition.
- Synonyms:
- unyielding, adamant, inflexible, unbending, refractory, fractious, froward, willful, stony, obdurate, dogged, headstrong, perverse
-
(of things) hard to shape or work with.
an intractable metal.
- Synonyms:
- unyielding, adamant, inflexible, unbending, refractory, fractious
-
hard to treat, relieve, or cure.
the intractable pain in his leg.
noun
adjective
-
difficult to influence or direct
an intractable disposition
-
(of a problem, illness, etc) difficult to solve, alleviate, or cure
-
difficult to shape or mould, esp with the hands
Synonym Usage
See unruly.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of intractable
From the Latin word intractābilis, dating back to 1535–45. See in- 3, tractable
Explanation
Can't manage your stubborn little brother who won't do what anyone says? You could call him intractable, or you could call your mother. Problems are intractable when they can't be solved. Intractable means not tractable. Helpful, right? No? Let's break it down. In both words you see the word tract. A contract is a written document that explains how a legal situation is to be managed together. When someone is tractable they are able to be managed or handled. When they are intractable, they are as unmanageable as a hungry two-year old.
Vocabulary lists containing intractable
This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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This Week in Words: May 11–17, 2019
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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.
There's also the very visible, and seemingly intractable, problem of homelessness, which inflicts misery on the thousands who suffer it and scars the streets of great cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
Despite being banned, a wealth of research suggests they can treat intractable mental health problems, which has attracted significant investment from the biotech industry.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
The seemingly intractable issue over Hezbollah's weapons has long divided Lebanon, but Aoun appeared to believe he could solve it.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
“Fusion lets us make our own suns. It makes really hard, intractable problems suddenly a little more solvable.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Confronted with an intractable problem, he was prepared to work at it harder and longer than most people and to be more receptive to unorthodox explanations.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
