INTRACTABLE Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'intractable' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of intractable are headstrong , recalcitrant , refractory , ungovernable , unruly , and willful . While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control. // intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

Q: When would 'headstrong' be a good substitute for 'intractable'?

The synonyms headstrong and intractable are sometimes interchangeable, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion. // a headstrong young cavalry officer

Q: When is 'recalcitrant' a more appropriate choice than 'intractable'?

Although the words recalcitrant and intractable have much in common, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority. // acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

Q: When can 'refractory' be used instead of 'intractable'?

While in some cases nearly identical to intractable , refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold. // special schools for refractory children

Q: Where would 'ungovernable' be a reasonable alternative to 'intractable'?

The words ungovernable and intractable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'unruly' instead of 'intractable'?

The words unruly and intractable can be used in similar contexts, but unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior. // unruly children

Q: When could 'willful' be used to replace 'intractable'?

The meanings of willful and intractable largely overlap; however, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way. // a willful disregard for the rights of others

intractable

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl

Definition of intractable

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others cats are by nature fairly intractable animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective intractable differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of intractable are headstrong, recalcitrant, refractory, ungovernable, unruly, and willful. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

When would headstrong be a good substitute for intractable?

The synonyms headstrong and intractable are sometimes interchangeable, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

When is recalcitrant a more appropriate choice than intractable?

Although the words recalcitrant and intractable have much in common, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

When can refractory be used instead of intractable?

While in some cases nearly identical to intractable, refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

Where would ungovernable be a reasonable alternative to intractable?

The words ungovernable and intractable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When is it sensible to use unruly instead of intractable?

The words unruly and intractable can be used in similar contexts, but unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

When could willful be used to replace intractable?

The meanings of willful and intractable largely overlap; however, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of intractable Two Ships is thus a narrative for our time, when the aspirational vision of oneness has given way to intractable twoness. — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 How these issues are handled could fuel the engine of progress on some seemingly intractable issues over the next two years, or stall it. — Evan Thies, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026 Even as the Vegas Golden Knights age out and the Oilers fade, the Sharks are undeniably perched to be an intractable problem for Vancouver in the Pacific over the course of the next decade (or more). — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 24 June 2026 The uncertainty makes the theft of the camera footage and archive one of the most intractable and damaging mysteries of the post-regime period. — Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for intractable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for intractable

Adjective

For seven seasons, a hodgepodge crew mixing Starfleet and the rebellious Maquis put aside their differences after they got zapped 70,000 lightyears away from Earth, deep into the uncharted Delta Quadrant.

— Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

For lipedema, Power Plate points to research suggesting whole-body vibration boosts lymphatic flow, which may liquefy and drain stubborn lymph fluid, relieve swelling and ease chronic pain.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
The grower will plant again next season, because that is what Israelis do, and the hope in that is stubborn.

— Frayda Leibtag, Time, 13 July 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

Under the Obama administration, an international coalition targeting the Libyan regime of Moammar Qadafi during the country’s 2011 civil war struck his fleeing convoy, leading to his capture and killing by rebel fighters.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Assad was forced to flee the country after government forces collapsed in the face of a surprise offensive launched by a coalition of rebel groups, led by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 7 July 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

New research from Omdia, commissioned by Apica and surveying 300 enterprise IT decision-makers, found that 59% of enterprises have already terminated or delayed an agentic AI deployment because observability costs have become unmanageable.

— Andi Mann, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
In his view, the Bank of Japan is suppressing bond yields to prevent interest costs on the debt pile from becoming unmanageable.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 July 2026

Definition of unmanageable

Adjective

Juano Hernandez, one of the finest of all American actors, plays a proudly defiant Black man falsely accused of murder.

— Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
Her face displays the trademark unibrow and faint mustache — a gender-bending look that, scholars say, reflects Kahlo’s defiant repudiation of the classic female aesthetic.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of defiant

Adjective

Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.

— Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026

Definition of recalcitrant

Adjective

When an ocelot begins prowling the neighborhood and a mysterious green light appears in the sky, Bernardo is forced to confront the harsh, uncontrollable nature of growing up.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 July 2026
McCall tried to create a contrast between the locations, with the Cady clan’s surroundings having an overgrown quality reflecting the uncontrollable insanity at the heart of the family.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Definition of uncontrollable

Adjective

These warm hundreds of tonnes of refractory bricks to temperatures up to 1,500 °C.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2025
This is, by far, the most common TES approach in industry, with most companies using legacy technologies like refractory bricks and molten salt to store heat in insulated shipping containers.

— Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Definition of refractory

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“Intractable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intractable. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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