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
Related Words
See unruly.
Other Word Forms
- intractability noun
- intractableness noun
- intractably adverb
Etymology
Origin of intractable
From the Latin word intractābilis, dating back to 1535–45. See in- 3, tractable
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.
"We've made progress on this really big, seemingly intractable question: why is there something instead of nothing?" said Professor Messier.
From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026
Overlapping plots and jurisdictions trigger intractable land disputes.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Locally, he said, homelessness was the issue they identified as the most intractable.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026
The term for Jean and Stephen, Julian says, is “rekindlers”—though they turn out to be “non-rekindlers,” as intractable problems impose a sad outcome on their fairy-tale romance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
This struck him as an intractable problem, for a variety of reasons.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.
