intractable

1 given to resisting authority or another's control an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told Synonyms balky, contrary, contumacious, defiant, froward, incompliant, insubordinate, disobedient, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, restive, ungovernable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful (or wilful)Related Words noncooperative, uncooperative; insurgent, mutinous; adamant, adamantine, dogged, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inflexible, mulish, negativistic, obdurate, obstinate, opinionated, peevish, pertinacious, pigheaded, rigid, self-willed, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding; fractious, restive, uncontrollable, unmanageable, wild; perverse, resistant, wrongheaded; bad, disorderly, errant, misbehaving, mischievous, monkeying, monkeyish, naughty; undisciplined; dissident, nonconformist; discourteous, disrespectful, ill-bred, ill-mannered, ill-natured, impertinent, impolite, impudent, inconsiderate, insolent, ornery, rude, uncivil, uncouth, ungracious, unmannerlyNear Antonyms acquiescent, agreeable, amiable, cooperative, deferential, obliging; yielding; behaved, disciplined, well-bred; courteous, polite, respectful; kowtowing, obsequious, servile, slavish, subservient; decorous, mannerly, orderly, proper; controllable, governable, manageable, trainableAntonyms amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable, docile, obedient, ruly, submissive, tractable

2 given to resisting control or discipline by others cats are by nature fairly intractable animals Synonyms froward, headstrong, incontrollable, uncontrollable, recalcitrant, refractory, ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful (or wilful)Related Words bullheaded, contrary, difficult, hardheaded, incorrigible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, opinionated, perverse, pigheaded, self-willed, stiff, stiff-necked, stubborn; undisciplined, unpunished; uncontrolled, wild; boisterous, irrepressible, rambunctious, rowdy; disobedient, indocile, insubordinate, rebellious; misbehaving, naughtyNear Antonyms docile, obedient, well-behaved; compliant, placable, pliable, submissive, yielding; accepting, persuadable, receptive, responsive, willing; reasonable, temperate, trainableAntonyms controllable, governable, manageable, tractable