recalcitrant
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recalcitrant
- /ɹɪˈkæl.sɪ.tɹənt/
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French récalcitrant, in derived from Latin recalcitrāns, recalcitrantis, present participle of recalcitrō, recalcitrāre (“be disobedient, kick back [as a horse]”), from calx (“heel”), 1820s.
adjective more recalcitrant · most recalcitrant
-
Marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority.
His nimble fancy was recalcitrant to mental discipline.
Similar: argumentative, defiant, disobedient, rebellious
- Unwilling to cooperate socially.
-
Difficult to deal with or to operate.
The more labile organic constituents of complex dissolved and particulate organic matter are commonly hydrolyzed and metabolized more rapidly than more recalcitrant organic compounds that are less accessible enzymatically.
Similar: stubborn, unruly, adversarial, obstreperous, intransigent
- Not viable for an extended period; damaged by drying or freezing.
Opposite: compliant, obedient, amenable, cooperative, eager, orthodox
noun recalcitrants
- A person who is recalcitrant.
Thesaurus
Translations
Every language
adj marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey figures of authority
| Español | recalcitrante, contumaz |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 桀驁不馴的 /桀骜不驯的 jié'àobùxún de |
| हिन्दी | अड़ियल aṛiyal, दुर्दम्य durdamya, बाग़ी bāġī |
| Français | rebelle, récalcitrant |
| Deutsch | widerspenstig, störrisch, bockig, aufsässig, trotzig, renitent |
| Italiano | ricalcitrante |
| Русский | непоко́рный nepokórnyj, упо́рный upórnyj |
adj hard to deal with or operate
| Español | recalcitrante, contumaz |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | अड़ियल aṛiyal, दुर्दम्य durdamya, बाग़ी bāġī |
| Français | récalcitrant |
| Deutsch | stur, eigensinnig, störrisch, unbequem, aufmüpfig, aufsässig |
| Italiano | ricalcitrante |
| Русский | сто́йкий stójkij, про́чный próčnyj |
noun A person who is recalcitrant
| Deutsch | Dickkopf, Querulant, Trotzkopf, Störer, Störenfried |
|---|
Talk about this word "recalcitrant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/recalcitrant. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. recalcitrant. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/recalcitrant "recalcitrant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/recalcitrant.Cite this
@misc{recalcitrant_2026,
title = {recalcitrant},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/recalcitrant},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
