intractable

adjective

in·​trac·​ta·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl 

1

: not easily governed, managed, or directed

intractable problems

2

: not easily relieved or cured

intractable pain

3

: not easily manipulated or shaped

intractable metal

intractability

(ˌ)in-ˌtrak-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

intractably

(ˌ)in-ˈtrak-tə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• rebellious
• rebel
• defiant
• stubborn
• recalcitrant
• willful

Choose the Right Synonym for intractable

unruly, ungovernable, intractable, refractory, recalcitrant, willful, headstrong mean not submissive to government or control.

unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

ungovernable implies either an escape from control or guidance or a state of being unsubdued and incapable of controlling oneself or being controlled by others.

ungovernable rage

intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

Examples of intractable in a Sentence

Contrary to the idea of black holes sucking everything, even light, into inconceivable nothingness, Hawking proposed that there was one thing that could escape a black hole's intractable grip: thermal radiation … —Bruno Maddox, Discover, September 2006

Sepsis, which is what happens to the body when an infection goes bad, is one of mankind's oldest and most intractable foes. —Leon Jaroff, Time, 24 July 2000

But now anesthesiologists have begun turning to an herb to help treat a deadly and often intractable lung condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people a year. —Eric Nagourney, New York Times, 26 Oct. 1999

a patient experiencing intractable pain

an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told

Recent Examples on the Web

To bring this seemingly intractable fight to an end would require a solution that serves both sides’ interests, producing the affordable housing our city needs and saving this open space neighbors love. —Randy Mastro, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025

Growing up in close proximity to Los Angeles’s storied music venues was another intractable part of their youth. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 June 2025

Why do so many problems facing the state seem so intractable? —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025

Others, like lissencephaly, a severe brain condition, were non-lethal, but were marked by a short life of intractable seizures. —Dr. Shelley Sella, Time, 11 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin intractābilis, from in- in- entry 1 + tractābilis "manageable, tractable"

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for intractable

• tractable
• extractable
• retractable

Kids Definition

intractable

adjective

in·​trac·​ta·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl 

1

: not easily managed or controlled

an intractable child

2

: not easily relieved or cured

intractable pain

intractability

(ˌ)in-ˌtrak-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

intractably

(ˈ)in-ˈtrak-tə-blē 

adverb

Medical Definition

intractable

adjective

in·​trac·​ta·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl 

1

: not easily managed or controlled (as by antibiotics or psychotherapy)

an intractable child

activity against many intractable Proteus and Pseudomonas species of bacteria

—Annual Report Pfizer

2

: not easily relieved or cured

intractable pain

intractable bleeding in duodenal ulcer

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

intractability

(ˌ)in-ˌtrak-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural intractabilities