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

As a result, the company decided to discontinue further development of camlipixant in refractory chronic cough, it added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

But despite this, the research complied by Kada and Ortus Economic Research, concluded that net company worth had increased since 2018 in advanced and technical ceramics, sanitaryware and refractory products.

From BBC ● May 21, 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

"Creating a refractory metal composite with these features of well-controlled hydrogen handling combined with erosion resistance and general material resilience is a breakthrough for the design of plasma devices and fusion energy systems," Schmitz says.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2023

Then in the Clarkston area of Washington the insects became refractory — they were harder to kill than in the orchards of the Wenatchee and Yakima valleys and elsewhere.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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

Even Moses had to kill the envious refractories, while Savonarola, the unarmed prophet, was destroyed.

From History of Modern Philosophy From Nicolas of Cusa to the Present Time by Richard Falckenberg

Allain knew where to find men; twenty-five leagues from Caen, in the department of La Manche, some way from any highroad, is situated the village of La Mancellière, whose men were all refractories.

From The House of the Combrays by G. Le Notre

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