refractory

[ ri-frak-tuh-ree ]

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adjective

hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient: a refractory child.
resisting ordinary methods of treatment.

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

noun,plural re·frac·to·ries.

a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.
refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.

Origin of refractory

First recorded in 1600–10; variant of refractary (by analogy with adjectives in -ory¹), from Latin refrāctārius “stubborn, obstinate,” equivalent to refrāct(us) (see refract) + -ārius-ary

synonym study For refractory

1. See unruly.

Other words for refractory

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

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Opposites for refractory

1	obedient, tractable

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Other words from refractory

re·frac·to·ri·ly, adverb
re·frac·to·ri·ness, noun
un·re·frac·to·ry, adjective

Words Nearby refractory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use refractory in a sentence

As our patient battled drug toxicities and refractory infection, we began to discuss one last option.
A Virus Just Wiped Out Antibiotic-Resistant Infection in an Immunocompromised Patient | Shelly Fan | May 10, 2022 | Singularity Hub
Diagnosed with refractory acute myeloid leukemia at age 7, Sam was very brave but also very sick.
36 Rabbis Shave for the Brave to Raise Money to Fight Childhood Cancer | John L. Smith | March 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
When pure and of close hard grain it is used as a refractory for lining furnaces, especially those designed for anthracite.
Asbestos | Robert H. Jones
And so mother and daughter in Mr. Wilding's absence pleaded his cause with his refractory bride-elect.
Mistress Wilding | Rafael Sabatini
At last one of the men mounted his horse, and set out with his lariat to lasso the refractory beast in true cow-boy style.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail | Arthur R. Thompson

The guard-room, 8, is identified by the remains of stocks, in which the refractory were fastened for punishment or safe-keeping.
The Private Life of the Romans | Harold Whetstone Johnston
She understood literature and the beauties of poetry, but it was too late to cultivate her refractory memory.
At the Sign of the Cat and Racket | Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for refractory

refractory

/ (rɪˈfræktərɪ) /

adjective

unmanageable or obstinate
med not responding to treatment

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

nounplural -ries

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

Origin of refractory

C17: variant of obsolete refractary; see refract

Derived forms of refractory

refractorily, adverb
refractoriness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for refractory

refractory

[ rĭ-frăk′tə-rē ]

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.
Resistant to heat.

Of or relating to a refractory period.

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