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

plural

refractories

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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Related Words

See unruly.

Other Word Forms

• refractorily adverb
• refractoriness noun
• unrefractory adjective

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) ( 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

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

Food and Drug Administration is reviewing Arcellx’s application seeking approval of anito-cel as a fourth-line treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, with a decision expected by the end of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

This refractory metal-based material, in whose discovery Dr. Alexander Kauffmann, now professor at the Ruhr University Bochum, played a major role, exhibits properties never seen before.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

He said the medical cause of Benn's death was "refractory cardiogenic shock due to taxane alkaloid poisoning, following ingestion of yew tree berries and leaves".

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2023

Sometimes this short, straight-backed young girl hummed under her breath, or sang, while she hoed the com or tugged on the reins when a refractory mule refused to budge.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry