Thesaurus
Synonyms & Antonyms of obdurate
1
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
Synonyms for obdurate
- affectless,
- callous,
- case-hardened,
- cold-blooded,
- compassionless,
- desensitized,
- hard,
- hard-boiled,
- hard-hearted,
- heartless,
- indurate,
- inhuman,
- inhumane,
- insensate,
- insensitive,
- ironhearted,
- merciless,
- pachydermatous,
- pitiless,
- remorseless,
- ruthless,
- slash-and-burn,
- soulless,
- stony
- (also stoney),
- stonyhearted,
- take-no-prisoners,
- thick-skinned,
- uncharitable,
- unfeeling,
- unmerciful,
- unsparing,
- unsympathetic
Words Related to obdurate
- grim,
- hard-bitten,
- harsh,
- heavy-handed,
- ironfisted,
- ironhanded,
- jackbooted,
- knock-down, drag-out
- (or knock-down-and-drag-out),
- oppressive,
- rough,
- rough-and-tumble,
- severe,
- sledgehammer,
- stern,
- tough,
- ungentle
Near Antonyms for obdurate
Antonyms for obdurate
2
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
Synonyms for obdurate
- adamant,
- adamantine,
- bullheaded,
- dogged,
- hard,
- hard-nosed,
- hardened,
- hardheaded,
- headstrong,
- immovable,
- implacable,
- inconvincible,
- inflexible,
- intransigent,
- mulish,
- obstinate,
- opinionated,
- ossified,
- pat,
- pertinacious,
- perverse,
- pigheaded,
- self-opinionated,
- self-willed,
- stiff-necked,
- stubborn,
- unbending,
- uncompromising,
- unrelenting,
- unyielding,
- willful
- (or wilful)
Words Related to obdurate
- determined,
- hell-bent,
- inexorable,
- persistent,
- relentless,
- resolved,
- set,
- single-minded,
- steadfast,
- stouthearted,
- tenacious,
- unflinching
- firm,
- hard-line,
- hard-shell
- (or hard-shelled),
- iron,
- severe,
- stern,
- strict
- bloody-minded
- [chiefly British],
- cantankerous
Phrases Synonymous with obdurate
Near Antonyms for obdurate
Antonyms for obdurate
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More About obdurate
Listen to Our Podcast About obdurate
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!
Cite this Entry
“Obdurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obdurate. Accessed 27 Sep. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Difficult Spelling Words Quiz
-
- Which is the correct spelling?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share obdurate
Time Traveler for obdurate
The first known use of obdurate was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century