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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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) ( 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

RP1 is intended to help these refractory patients by boosting their response to other therapies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 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

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

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