Word
obdurate
Phoneticsob·du·rate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɑbdɝət/
UK/ˈɒbdjɔːɹət/
Definition
adj. refusing to change your mind or your opinion, even when people try to persuade you. It describes someone who is very stubborn and does not feel sorry for their actions.
adj. stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. Often implies a cold or hardened lack of sympathy or repentance.
Examples
“The manager remained obdurate despite our many complaints.”
“Despite hours of intense negotiation and several generous offers, the board remained obdurate in its refusal to sell the company.”
“The diplomat faced an obdurate regime that viewed any concession as a sign of terminal weakness, making a peaceful resolution nearly impossible to achieve.”
Examples
simple
“The manager remained obdurate despite our many complaints.”
contextual
“Despite hours of intense negotiation and several generous offers, the board remained obdurate in its refusal to sell the company.”
complex
“The diplomat faced an obdurate regime that viewed any concession as a sign of terminal weakness, making a peaceful resolution nearly impossible to achieve.”
Usage
Often used in formal or literary contexts to describe a person's character or a specific refusal.
Real-World Examples
“The negotiations collapsed after the talks ran into an obdurate refusal from both sides to revisit core demands.” “Highly expressive modernist buildings have proven especially obdurate: Paul Rudolph's 1971 Orange County Government Center stands abandoned in Goshen, New York (see book review, page 41).” “An injury-time goal from Nikola Zigic against an obdurate Stoke side gave Birmingham back-to back Premier League wins for the first time in 14 months.” Etymology
First attested in the 1450s as Middle English obdurat(e), borrowed from Latin obdūrātus ("hardened"), the perfect passive participle of obdūrō ("to harden"). The Latin joins the prefix ob- ("against") to dūrō ("to harden, render hard"), itself from dūrus ("hard"), and adds the adjective-forming suffix -ate; compare durable and endure.
From Latin obdūrātus, past participle of obdūrāre ("to harden, persist"), with the English verb formed by addition of the Latinate suffix -ate. The Latin root carries the sense of hardening against something — ob- ("against") and dūrus ("hard") — and entered English with that moral inflection already intact.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/obdurate