obdurate
Americanadjective
-
unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.
- Synonyms:
- inflexible, unbending, callous, obstinate, hard
-
stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent.
an obdurate sinner.
- Synonyms:
- shameless, reprobate, unregenerate
adjective
-
not easily moved by feelings or supplication; hardhearted
-
impervious to persuasion, esp to moral persuasion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obdurate
1400–50; late Middle English obdurat < Latin obdūrātus (past participle of obdūrāre to harden), equivalent to ob- ob- + dūr ( us ) hard + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Obdurate is a formal word meaning stubborn. If you want to major in English, but your parents are obdurate that you should go premed, they might go so far as to threaten not to pay your tuition. This adjective descends from Latin obdurare, "to harden." A near synonym is adamant, from Latin adamas, "hard metal, diamond." So both of these synonyms derive from the quality of hardness being associated with a stubborn personality.
Vocabulary lists containing obdurate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Frankenstein
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
To the religious authorities in England in the early 16th century, an obdurate Oxford scholar became a public enemy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
But encountering “Dark” now, something else stands out: There is no way for a viewer to know for certain whether the word is really written on the underside, beneath all that obdurate tonnage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2025
But it faces an obdurate, well-armed and angry enemy.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2024
Admittedly, with that preeminence has come changes that even an obdurate critic like me must hail.
From Salon ● Dec. 9, 2023
My reserve was greater and more obdurate than ever before.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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.
