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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
Those hoping to snatch a home in this busy period faced limited options on the market, as the country’s developers had chronically underbuilt compared to demand in the years following the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to ruthless bidding wars and climbing home values.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Hedda orchestrates a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy and betrayal collide.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That individual brilliance which can produce a moment of magic to break open a stubborn defence is harder to come by.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Be sure to pay extra attention to stubborn stains.—
Jennifer Beck Goldblatt,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Just clean, merciless, fundamental football.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
When asked about his name being mentioned as this season’s coaching carnage continues, Danielson — a native of Southern California and graduate of Azusa Pacific University east of Los Angeles — remained adamant in his commitment to Boise State.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Oct. 2025
-
But Díaz-Balart, who sits on the House appropriations committee that helps draft spending bills, insists Republicans won’t cave to demands and is adamant short-term extensions are not the solution.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Needless to say, the sanctions, Trump’s criticism of Putin and the cancelation of in-person talks, elicited a stony silence from Moscow on Thursday.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Madewell Crewneck Cutaway Vest A stony tan vest might just be the sleeper hit of the season.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Jeff is known as a selfless mentor and a steadfast colleague.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Beyond her torrid relationship with Taissa Turner, Van felt like a voice of reason in a sea of noise — steadfast in her effort to reform after her time in The Wilderness rather than succumbing to its violent will.—
Catherine Mhloyi,
Them.,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Against armored targets, the outer jacket is stripped away upon impact, allowing the hardened steel core to penetrate alone.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The extruder gears and rods are made from hardened steel, which resists wear.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obdurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obdurate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share