stubborn
Americanadjective
-
unreasonably obstinate; obstinately unmoving.
a stubborn child.
- Synonyms:
- obdurate, headstrong, unyielding, refractory, intractable, contrary
- Antonyms:
- tractable
-
fixed or set in purpose or opinion; resolute.
a stubborn opponent of foreign aid.
- Synonyms:
- persevering
- Antonyms:
- irresolute
-
obstinately maintained, as a course of action.
a stubborn resistance.
-
difficult to manage or suppress.
a stubborn horse; a stubborn pain.
-
hard, tough, or stiff, as stone or wood; difficult to shape or work.
adjective
-
refusing to comply, agree, or give in; obstinate
-
difficult to handle, treat, or overcome
-
persistent and dogged
a stubborn crusade
Usage
Where does stubborn come from? The origin of stubborn is itself fittingly stubborn, or "unreasonably obstinate." We might assume stubborn is connected to stub, a "short, projecting part or remaining piece" that is often immovable and unyielding. But that just doesn't seem to be true.Stubborn is recorded around 1350–1400 and took such forms as stiborn(e), styborne, and stuborn. Beyond that, we just don't really know. Thanks for nothing, stubborn.Stubborn isn’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."
Related Words
Stubborn, dogged, obstinate, persistent imply fixity of purpose or condition and resistance to change. Stubborn and obstinate both imply resistance to advice, entreaty, remonstrance, or force; but stubborn implies more of innate quality and is the more frequently used when referring to inanimate things: stubborn disposition; stubborn difficulties. Dogged implies pertinacity and grimness in doing something, especially in the face of discouragements: dogged determination. Persistent implies having staying or lasting qualities, resoluteness, and perseverance: persistent questioning.
Other Word Forms
- prestubborn adjective
- stubbornly adverb
- stubbornness noun
- unstubborn adjective
- unstubbornly adverb
- unstubbornness noun
Etymology
Origin of stubborn
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English stiborn(e), styborne, stuborn ; origin uncertain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The story stays small, sticking only with her, a stubborn woman who doesn’t want much from the world and doesn’t feel responsible for its rescue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The “restart timeline is a stubborn mule,” Raj told MarketWatch, and “repumping the battered energy heart is a multiyear demolition derby, not a weekend DIY.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
To the obvious fury of the judge, the prince's stubborn barrister David Sherborne often tested the boundaries of that decision.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Wholesale inflation hit the highest rate in a year last month, adding evidence that stubborn price increases persisted in the economy even before the Iran war began.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Around Halloween the last, stubborn wildflowers died away and the wind became sharp and gusty, blowing showers of yellow leaves on the gray, wrinkled surface of the lake.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
