1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the obdurate refusal of the crotchety old man to let the neighborhood kids retrieve their stray ball from his backyard
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
an obdurate farmer who could never be convinced to try a different method of fertilization
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obdurate
Ipswich proved obdurate and then generous opponents — Newcastle’s 78 per cent possession was the highest by any team in a Premier League match this season — and their relegation was confirmed by this 3-0 defeat.
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Whatever regime emerges could well be even more radical and obdurate.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
None of that has immunized the lowly smelt from its most obdurate enemy: partisan folly.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Nevertheless, Biden’s obdurate unwillingness to step aside for younger, more plausible Democratic candidates resulted in the reëmergence of his nemesis.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obdurate
George Caulkin, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Whatever regime emerges could well be even more radical and obdurate.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
None of that has immunized the lowly smelt from its most obdurate enemy: partisan folly.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Nevertheless, Biden’s obdurate unwillingness to step aside for younger, more plausible Democratic candidates resulted in the reëmergence of his nemesis.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obdurate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obdurate
Adjective
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Zimmer also received an Emmy nod for her portrayal of ruthless executive Quinn King on Unreal (2015–2018).—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
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And in short stories and doorstops, her attention is ruthless and unflinching.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Month over month, that would be the same stubborn pace that has persisted for more than two years.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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Results show that microbial iron mining can immobilize toxic metals and convert stubborn pollutants into less harmful compounds.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Chat members were merciless in their rhetoric against fellow Young Republicans in competing factions of the organization.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
15 Oct. 2025
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Next is 4-2 Mississippi State at home, the closest thing to a reprieve left on this merciless schedule.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Back in January 2024, when Sportico was first to report on Florida State’s conversations with Sixth Street and Arctos Partners, many around the process were adamant to point out that those conversations were private credit (or private capital), not private equity.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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Giuffre was adamant that the pain, including several attempts at suicide in the past few years, was part of her story.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The images show thousands of homes turned to stony wreckage, green fields turned to dust, the veins of the city’s old roadways still visible.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
7 Oct. 2025
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Give her the chance to play pathos, and Squibb can crack your stony heart in half.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Davis, a staunch libertarian, is one of the company’s steadfast defenders.—
David Peisner,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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Odinga, who served prison time for his steadfast support for democracy and political reform, played a critical role in replacing a colonial-era charter with the country’s current constitution, which imposes clearer limits on presidential power.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
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Non-kinetic defenses (like jamming or hacking drones) don’t always work, especially against autonomous or hardened systems.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obdurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obdurate. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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