stubborn
[ stuhb-ern ]
/ ˈstʌb ərn /
Save This Word!
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.
OTHER WORDS FOR stubborn
2 persevering.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
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, nounWord 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