refractory

American  

[ri-frak-tuh-ree] / rɪˈfræk tə ri /

adjective

1. hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient.

   a refractory child.

   Synonyms:

   ungovernable, recalcitrant, disobedient, intractable, headstrong, mulish, perverse, obstinate

   Antonyms:

   tractable, obedient

2. resisting ordinary methods of treatment.

3. difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal.

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noun

• refractories
  plural

1. a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.

2. refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.

refractory British  

/ rɪˈfræktərɪ /

adjective

1. unmanageable or obstinate

2. med not responding to treatment

3. (of a material) able to withstand high temperatures without fusion or decomposition

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noun

1. a material, such as fireclay or alumina, that is able to withstand high temperatures: used to line furnaces, kilns, etc

refractory Scientific  

/ rĭ-frăk′tə-rē /

1. 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.

2. Resistant to heat.

3. Of or relating to a refractory period.

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Synonym Usage

See unruly.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• refractoriness
  noun
• unrefractory
  adjective
• refractorily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• refractories
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

refractory refractories

They said their blood sugar readings were refractory, meaning they kept coming back despite being given glucose, whereas naturally-occurring hypoglycemia can be easily corrected with a treatment such as a sugary drink.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

Late-phase data for the U.K. drugmaker’s camlipixant and bepirovirsen in refractory chronic cough and hepatitis B, respectively, are due and the outcome of a portfolio review should come alongside second-quarter results, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a biologics license application for anito-cel as a fourth-line treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

"By targeting tumor macrophages, we've shown that it can be possible to eliminate cancers that are refractory to other immunotherapies."

From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2026

So Meg wrestled alone with the refractory sweetmeats all that hot summer day, and at five o’clock sat down in her topsy-turvey kitchen, wrung her bedaubed hands, lifted up her voice and wept.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

U.S. and European companies have been recently investing in developing synthetic graphite as demand from the EV sector is surging for this soft form of carbon, which until recently was mainly used for steelmaking refractories.

From Reuters ● Oct. 20, 2023

It boasted that it was the world's No. 1 producer of aluminum, tinplate, refractories, plumbing fixtures, lifting jacks, air brakes.

From Time Magazine Archive

Colonel Franchessini, so well known for his ardor in punishing the refractories of the National Guard, has been elected almost unanimously in one of the rotten boroughs of the civil list.

From The Deputy of Arcis by Katharine Prescott Wormeley

On arriving at Saint-Savin, the women Lechantre and Bryond heard of the arrest of Bourget, that of the driver of the diligence, and that of the two refractories.

From The Brotherhood of Consolation by Katharine Prescott Wormeley

Added to some clays to increase refractories or porosity.

From Pottery, for Artists Craftsmen & Teachers by George J. Cox