Word
stubborn
Phoneticsstub·born, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈstəbɝn/
UK/stˈʌbən/
Definitions
01refusing to change
B1 · Intermediate
adj. refusing to change your mind or your behavior, even when people give you good reasons to do so.
adj. unreasonably or perversely unyielding; refusing to change one's opinion or course of action despite persuasion.
“He was too stubborn to admit that he had taken the wrong road.”
“The negotiator remained stubborn throughout the afternoon, refusing to concede even the most minor points of the contract.”
Synonyms
02difficult to move or fix
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. difficult to move, remove, or deal with.
adj. difficult to handle, manage, or treat; resistant to physical force or chemical action.
“I used a special soap to get the stubborn grass stains out of my jeans.”
“The mechanic spent hours wrestling with a stubborn bolt that had rusted into place over several decades.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03stiff or inflexible
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
adj. describing a material that is stiff and does not bend or melt easily.
adj. physically stiff and inflexible; specifically used in technical contexts for materials that are difficult to work or melt.
“The old leather had become stubborn and hard to sew after years in the sun.”
“Certain stubborn ores require significantly higher temperatures before they begin the smelting process.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English stiborne, stibourne, stoburn, stoburne, styburne, stiborn, of uncertain origin; one hypothesis is that it may be from Old English *stybbor, from Old English stybb (“a stump, stub”) + -or (adjective-formation suffix, as in bitor, whence English bitter).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- 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.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL 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: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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