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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obdurate
Most of these initiatives met obdurate resistance from more powerful sectors of the state, and by the end of Khatami’s second term, in 2005, the reform movement had lost much of its momentum.
—
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 Aug. 2025
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
Advertisement None of that has immunized the lowly smelt from its most obdurate enemy: partisan folly.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Stalin’s apprenticeship in high-stakes diplomacy had shown him to be cunning but also opportunistic, avaricious, obdurate.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
See All Example Sentences for obdurate
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 Aug. 2025
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
Advertisement None of that has immunized the lowly smelt from its most obdurate enemy: partisan folly.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Stalin’s apprenticeship in high-stakes diplomacy had shown him to be cunning but also opportunistic, avaricious, obdurate.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
See All Example Sentences for obdurate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obdurate
Adjective
-
Serenity Maggie’s (and Sweet Magnolias‘) trip to New York was cut short as Season 5 offered a juxtaposition between small-town values and ruthless big-city corporate culture.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Ruffalo will voice Nero, a scrappy black cat, and Fishburne will play Rocco, a ruthless cat mob boss.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers have been looking into ways to reduce the stubborn inflammation HIV causes in the central nervous system.—
Smita S. Iyer,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
The findings, published in 2025 in Brain Stimulation, point to a fundamentally new way of treating one of the most stubborn psychiatric conditions, using a miniaturized implant that delivers brief bursts of stimulation only during key moments of exposure therapy.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless, Stanton is adamant that there is no hypothetical future in which raccoons could realistically become good house pets.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
10 June 2026
-
Alonso was adamant that the school board should seek opportunities to either repurpose or lease properties that schools vacate, not sell them.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.—
Emily Cox,
ARTnews.com,
22 May 2026
-
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Douglas County remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency and adherence to Colorado Open Meeting laws.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
The throughline of his life is his on-again, off-again friendship with, but also his steadfast love for a neighbor girl of the upper class, who challenges him repeatedly to become his better self.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
The story began with Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, getting hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
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That even once took two hardened ex-pros and pundits, Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist, by surprise before a game that William was attending, with George, in Paris in April 2024.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obdurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obdurate. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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