Definition of OBDURATENESS

Choose the Right Synonym for obdurate

inflexible, obdurate, adamant mean unwilling to alter a predetermined course or purpose. inflexible implies rigid adherence or even slavish conformity to principle. inflexible in their demands obdurate stresses hardness of heart and insensitivity to appeals for mercy or the influence of divine grace. obdurate in his refusal to grant clemency adamant implies utter immovability in the face of all temptation or entreaty. adamant that the work should continue

Did You Know?

When you are confronted with someone obdurate, you may end up feeling dour. During the encounter, you may find that you need to be durable to keep your sanity intact. Maybe you will find such situations less stressful in the future if you can face them knowing that the words obdurate, dour, during, and durable are etymological cousins. All of those words trace back to the Latin adjective durus, which means "hard." A form of this adjective can still be found in dura mater, the name for the tough fibrous material that surrounds the brain and spinal cord; it comes from a Medieval Latin phrase meaning, literally, "hard mother."

Examples of obdurate in a Sentence

He is known for his obdurate determination. the obdurate refusal of the crotchety old man to let the neighborhood kids retrieve their stray ball from his backyard

Recent Examples on the Web This week’s roundup of progress stories includes evidence that the needle can move on even the most obdurate problems, from sewage pollution to human trafficking. — Lindsey Mcginnis, The Christian Science Monitor, "Coral reefs in Fiji rebound at unexpected pace," 31 Mar. 2021 This is not to say that the US agriculture sector is no longer plagued by obdurate problems. — Raghav Simha, Quartz India, "Why India’s chefs and restaurants must pay attention to the farmer protests," 17 Feb. 2021 Again, the works’ key success is formal, as an effect of obdurate density and jagged animation. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "How to Read Sam Gilliam’s Formalism," 9 Nov. 2020 In Cleveland, Jordano caught something else —an obdurate grit and a restrained dignity amid poverty and decline. — Steven Litt, cleveland, "Transformer Station explores ‘unique objects’ made from photographs and lush nocturnal landscapes of Cleveland," 27 Sep. 2020 Still, there's little evidence that the President cared about much more than photo ops -- his administration did none of the exhausting leg work required for even minor breakthroughs with obdurate diplomats from Pyongyang. — Stephen Collinson With Caitlin Hu, CNN, "'Wiping out the riff-raff' -- Meanwhile in America," 17 June 2020 Were other international trade negotiations to be put back because of the virus — for example those being conducted between London and Washington — Britain’s government could start to look obdurate about the Brexit talks. — Mark Landler, New York Times, "Boris Johnson Pressed to Move Brexit Deadline Amid Coronavirus Threat," 14 Mar. 2020 But there is a special satisfaction in what appears to be Giuliani’s obdurate inability to refrain from this type of behavior. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "The Year in Stupidity," 13 Dec. 2019 Now the territory’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, obdurate for weeks in the face of the protesters’ demands, has changed her tune. — The Economist, "Hong Kong’s leader has made a concession to protesters," 5 Sep. 2019

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