obstinate
English · Español · Deutsch · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
obstinate
- /ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/ UK
- /ˈɒb.stɪ.nɪt/ UK
- /ˈɑb.stə.nət/ US
- /ˈɑb.stə.nɪt/ US
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English obstinat(e) (“obstinate, stubborn”), from Latin obstinātus, perfect passive participle of obstinō (“set one's mind firmly upon, resolve”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob (“before”) + *stinare, from stare (“to stand”). Doublet of ostinato.
adjective more obstinate · most obstinate · obstinant
-
Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
From this consideration it is that we have derived the custom, in times of war, to punish […] those who are obstinate to defend a place that by the rules of war is not tenable […]
Similar: bloody-minded
-
Of an inanimate object, not easily subdued or removed.
an obstinate blockage in the pipe
Similar: persistent, unrelenting, inexorable
- Of a facial feature or expression, fixed and unmoving. He had the same pile of curly hair, but he was clean-shaven with a heavy, obstinate jowl.
Similar: persistent, stubborn, pertinacious, adamant, ardent, grim, untiring, bent on, bullheaded, certain, chronic, confirmed, determined, diehard, dogged, hard-hearted, hard-nosed, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, incalcitrant, inflexible, irrefragable, insistent, intractable, intransigent, intrepid, inveterate, mulish, obdurate · Opposite: compromising, transigent, flexible, sycophantic, yielding
Thesaurus
adjective
Similar: persistent, stubborn, pertinacious, adamant, ardent, grim, untiring, bent on, bullheaded, certain, chronic, confirmed, determined, diehard, dogged, hard-hearted, hard-nosed, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, incalcitrant, inflexible, irrefragable, insistent, intractable, intransigent, intrepid, inveterate, mulish, obdurate · Opposite: compromising, transigent, flexible, sycophantic, yielding
Translations
Every language
adj adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually unreasonably
| Español | obstinado, obcecado, porfiado |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 완고하다 wan'gohada |
| 日本語 | 頑固な ganko na |
| 中文 | 頑固 /顽固 wángù |
| हिन्दी | ज़िद्दी ziddī, हठी haṭhī, अक्खड़ akkhaṛ |
| Português | obstinado, persistente, pertinaz |
| Français | obstiné |
| Deutsch | hartnäckig, starrköpfig, stur |
| Italiano | ostinato, pertinace |
| Română | obstinat, încăpățânat, îndărătnic |
| Русский | упря́мый uprjámyj, упёртый upjórtyj, твердоло́бый tverdolóbyj, стропти́вый stroptívyj |
| Tiếng Việt | bướng bỉnh, cứng đầu |
| العربية | مُتَعَنِّت mutaʕannit, عَنِيد ʕanīd |
| עברית | עַקְשָׁן akshán |
adj (of inanimate things) not easily subdued or removed
| Deutsch | widerspenstig, widerborstig, hartnäckig |
|---|---|
| Română | persistent |
Talk about this word "obstinate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/obstinate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. obstinate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/obstinate "obstinate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/obstinate.Cite this
@misc{obstinate_2026,
title = {obstinate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/obstinate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
