obstinate

adjective

ob·​sti·​nate ˈäb-stə-nət 

1

: stubbornly holding to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion

obstinate resistance to change

Only this austerity of voice, this obstinate refusal to capitulate to the romantic tone, rescues the novel from bathos.

—Francine Du Plessix Gray

You've seen movies in which there's one obstinate juror who blocks conviction, perhaps someone enticed to that obstinacy by the accused.

—Philip Bump

2

: not easily controlled, remedied, or removed

obstinate fever

A moment of silence lodged between us, an old and obstinate silence.

—Bernard Cooper

obstinately adverb

people who cling obstinately to the past

obstinateness noun

Did you know?

English has no shortage of words to describe stubbornness, and obstinate is one you might want to latch onto. It suggests an unreasonable persistence and is often used negatively to describe someone who is unwilling to change course or to give up a belief or plan. Animals can be obstinate, too—for instance, say, a beloved pet cat that refuses to get out of your easy chair when you want to sit down. Such an example makes a lot of sense with regard to obstinate’s history, too: the word traces back to a combination of the Latin prefix ob-, meaning “in the way,” and a word related to stare, meaning "to stand." But if you’re adamant about describing Whiskers’ stubborn behavior in more faunal terms, allow us to suggest bullheaded, dogged, or mulish.

Synonyms of obstinate

• stubborn
• adamant

Choose the Right Synonym for obstinate

obstinate, dogged, stubborn, pertinacious, mulish mean fixed and unyielding in course or purpose.

obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence.

an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence.

pursued the story with dogged perseverance

stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable.

a person too stubborn to admit error

pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence.

a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy.

a mulish determination to have his own way

Examples of obstinate in a Sentence

More than 30 cities had sued the gun industry for the costs of violence on their streets. Cuomo had brashly stepped into the legal swamp, hoping he could be the guy to force concessions from an obstinate industry. —Matt Bai, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2001

With The New York Times calling Klein "a weak nominee" and editorializing that the administration should withdraw him, and with his opponents obstinate and apparently committed, he seemed for a moment to be in serious trouble. —John Heilemann, Wired, November 2000

What did they know of life? All they knew was how to parrot the stock phrases of their profession and to continue to be obstinate until somebody, somewhere, paid up. —Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, 1998

When my father finished telling the story, he looked at me, then looked away. A moment of silence lodged between us, an old and obstinate silence. —Bernard Cooper, Harper's, August 1992

his obstinate refusal to obey

My parents remain as obstinate as ever.

Recent Examples on the Web

These books can feel obstinate in their refusal of pleasure—an approach that does not seem to interest Berman in the slightest. —Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025

At this point, this is pure theater from Schumer, Jeffries, and the rest of the obstinate Democratic Party leaders. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025

As Bob throws a tantrum with the resistance’s obstinate operator, Sensei procures a rifle for Bob too. —Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025

The other parents in Julianna’s comments had a similarly good sense of humor about how weaning an obstinate toddler can sometimes feel like negotiating with a dictator. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French obstinat, Latin obstinatus, past participle of obstinare to be resolved, from ob- in the way + -stinare (akin to stare to stand)

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

obstinate

adjective

ob·​sti·​nate ˈäb-stə-nət 

1

: sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion

2

: not easily overcome or removed

an obstinate fever

obstinately adverb

Medical Definition

obstinate

adjective

ob·​sti·​nate ˈäb-stə-nət 

1

: adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion

2

: not easily subdued, remedied, or removed

obstinate fever