Definition of INTRACTABLE

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 of intractable from the Web

Cities and countries are written up as commodities and investment opportunities rather than real places with intractable problems that require more than a subsidy to resolve.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "Serena Williams and Okja: The Week in Pop-Culture Writing," 1 July 2017
Cities and countries are written up as commodities and investment opportunities rather than real places with intractable problems that require more than a subsidy to resolve.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Monocle: The Magazine As Boring, Lifestyle, Branding Infastructure," 1 July 2017
Republican leaders solved this seemingly intractable dilemma by moving the bill to the right, bringing the hard-liners onboard, and counting on moderates to cave and support something that was even harsher.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Republican Aide Says ‘Moderates Always Cave.’ That Explains Everything.," 23 June 2017
Whether in London, New York or Washington, D.C., homelessness can seem like a problem too huge and intractable to tackle.

— mary hui, Washington Post, "Meet the globe-trotting hairdresser who helps homeless people look sharp," 21 June 2017
What's more, his tough approach to the intractable problems of the Middle East would appear to mesh well with U.S. President Donald Trump, who visited Saudi Arabia last month.

— marc champion, Bloomberg.com, "The Rise of a Prince Ends Doubts Over Saudi Arabia’s Direction," 21 June 2017
Most of the territory Israel had won has stayed occupied, and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories today seems as intractable as ever.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "What the Six-Day War Tells Us About the Cold War," 6 June 2017
Still, if the attitude this week is one of optimism and solutions, oceans advocates say that some of the problems the seas are facing are deep-seated and intractable.

— amanda paulson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Can the world come together in defense of oceans?," 5 June 2017
Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? (2013), traces how the bloody crackdown on youth dissent in March 2011 metastasized into the intractable conflict that today has left an estimated 500,000 dead and millions uprooted.

— andrew katz, Time, "'Hell on Earth': A New Documentary on Syria Traces the Rise of ISIS," 5 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intractable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of intractable

Latin intractabilis, from in- + tractabilis tractable

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First Known Use: 1531

See Words from the same year

intractable Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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