as in stubbornness
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
the mindless obstinacy of those people who continue to insist that the earth is flat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obstinacy
The left’s obstinacy may carry a heavy political price.
—
Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
The collapse of 2023 was partly rooted in offensive obstinacy, stagnation and decline.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 23 July 2025
Our experiences were branded on our souls, broadening our perspective of the world and arming us with the obstinacy and mettle to pursue a meaningful life.
—Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 July 2025
This seemed to me to stem not from carelessness or spite but obstinacy.
—Literary Hub, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obstinacy
Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
The collapse of 2023 was partly rooted in offensive obstinacy, stagnation and decline.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 23 July 2025
Our experiences were branded on our souls, broadening our perspective of the world and arming us with the obstinacy and mettle to pursue a meaningful life.
—Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 July 2025
This seemed to me to stem not from carelessness or spite but obstinacy.
—Literary Hub, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obstinacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstinacy
Noun
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As for her training, the stubbornness of this dog mix hasn't been an issue.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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Maybe this stubbornness won’t affect anything.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For Samuel, Sargool and Yousif, the recognition speaks to the years of persistence and hard work that went into forming the program in order to help students feel more valued in their language and culture.—
Alexandra Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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What stands out is a common thread of persistence and impact.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
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The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
2 May 2023
Noun
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That the campaign has become a grind, with little entertainment on offer and an intransigence in the manager’s approach, has added to the sense of angst.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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Tehran matched American and Israeli rigidity with intransigence and strategic overreach of its own.—
Mehrzad Boroujerdi,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
China has gained, not suffered, from this obduracy.—
JONATHAN A. CZIN,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Nov. 2025
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Related: ‘Neglected diseases’ are anything but neglected by the billion-plus people living with them One possible reason for this obduracy is that noma begins as a dental disease, and dental diseases have long been underappreciated global health concerns.—
John Button,
STAT,
16 Dec. 2023
Noun
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Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Centres come at a significant premium cost, and there’s a fair bit of regard for Hayton around the industry given his versatility, face-off winning ability, power-play utility and doggedness.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Corey Perry, winger, A- Joel Armia, forward, B Perry has delivered the doggedness the Kings came to expect from him as a longtime rival, along with his best per-game scoring rate since 2018.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For example, postpartum hair shedding often starts around three to five months post-childbirth, and resolves on its own within three to six months.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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The war is also likely to harden the regime’s resolve to obtain a nuclear weapon, experts say.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstinacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstinacy. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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