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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective refractory differ from other similar words?

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

special schools for refractory children

When can headstrong be used instead of refractory?

The words headstrong and refractory can be used in similar contexts, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

Where would intractable be a reasonable alternative to refractory?

While in some cases nearly identical to refractory, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

When would recalcitrant be a good substitute for refractory?

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

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

In what contexts can ungovernable take the place of refractory?

The meanings of ungovernable and refractory largely overlap; however, 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 unruly a more appropriate choice than refractory?

The synonyms unruly and refractory are sometimes interchangeable, 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 refractory?

The words willful and refractory are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 refractory This current study extends the successful results previously published on the virus-free preparation of CD19-specific CAR T-cells against refractory B cell malignancies utilizing Applied DNA's Linea™ DNA. Kansas City Star, 13 May 2024 Marinus Pharmaceuticals said an experimental treatment for refractory status epilepticus failed to meet early stopping criteria for a Phase 3 study. Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 15 Apr. 2024 All of the children had rare, relapsed or refractory cancers and were running out of treatment options. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024 Many of those patients were able to receive a potentially curative stem cell transplant later on, which is often the ultimate goal for patients with relapsed or refractory patients. Damian Garde, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for refractory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refractory
Adjective
  • Still, Adams failed to outright ask the most important questions: Were Canadians ever willing to join the rebellious Thirteen Colonies?
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
  • Libra: Marge Simpson from The Simpsons Only a Libra mother could calmly and miraculously put up with the shenanigans that her three rebellious children cause.
    Lisa Stardust, People.com, 11 May 2025
Adjective
  • When tragedy strikes on Michigan roads—when a car skids off an icy bend or a semi-truck barrels through a red light—victims are often left to face not only devastating injuries but also a daunting legal maze of corporate denials and stubborn insurers.
    William Jones, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • Get The Recipe Smart Move Similar recipes with beans and peas existed before then, but a challenge made to a stubborn chef named Helen Corbitt spurred the creation of Texas caviar.
    Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • President Trump met with former rebel leader turned new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 May 2025
  • Incidents of violence by rebel groups fell from 1,936 in 2010 to 374 in 2024, according to data from the home ministry.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • Big cars, bigger trucks, two-dimensional women, recalcitrant men.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
  • While the markets have not responded kindly, the White House insists the tariffs are bringing recalcitrant nations to the bargaining table.
    Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The defiant message comes after weeks of intense news coverage and a Republican House committee investigation into Hope Florida and its nonprofit charity arm, the Hope Florida Foundation.
    Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
  • For weeks, Chinese officials had projected a defiant position, demanding the US remove all tariffs on China before agreeing to come to the negotiation table.
    Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • Perhaps the city’s current crises—crumbling public infrastructure, intractable civic strife, the President’s attempts to strangle his home town—have reminded New Yorkers of a different period of chaos, when Cuomo seemed a beacon of sanity.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
  • Fresh off its unqualified diplomatic successes with the Russians, the Iranians, and Hamas’s terrorists and their intermediaries, the Trump administration is reportedly gearing up to resolve another of the world’s seemingly intractable conundrums: North Korea and its nuclear arsenal.
    Noah Rothman, National Review, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Daily use by adolescents and adults can result in another unpleasant side effect: uncontrollable vomiting, according to a 2021 study.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
  • The phenomenon happens after a person repeatedly experiences negative, uncontrollable events.
    Kim Key, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • The budget does, thankfully, enshrine the Department of Government Efficiency’s acknowledgment that federal sprawl has become unmanageable.
    Veronique de Rugy, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
  • Each box weighed close to 30 pounds—cumbersome, though not unmanageable for a moderately-strong adult.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 12 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Refractory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractory. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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