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stubborn

[ stuhb-ern ]
/ ˈstʌb ərn /
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See synonyms for: stubborn / stubbornly / stubbornness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
unreasonably obstinate; obstinately unmoving: a stubborn child.
fixed or set in purpose or opinion; resolute: a stubborn opponent of foreign aid.
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.
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Origin of stubborn

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English stiborn(e), styborne, stuborn; origin uncertain

synonym study for stubborn

2. 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 WORDS FROM stubborn

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

How to use stubborn in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stubborn

stubborn
/ (ˈstʌbən) /

adjective
refusing to comply, agree, or give in; obstinate
difficult to handle, treat, or overcome
persistent and doggeda stubborn crusade

Derived forms of stubborn

stubbornly, adverbstubbornness, noun

Word Origin for stubborn

C14 stoborne, of obscure origin
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
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