Synonym Chooser

How is the word stubborn distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stubborn are dogged, mulish, obstinate, and pertinacious. While all these words mean "fixed and unyielding in course or purpose," stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable.

a person too stubborn to admit error

When might dogged be a better fit than stubborn?

The meanings of dogged and stubborn largely overlap; however, dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence.

pursued the story with dogged perseverance

When is it sensible to use mulish instead of stubborn?

Although the words mulish and stubborn have much in common, mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy.

a mulish determination to have his own way

In what contexts can obstinate take the place of stubborn?

The synonyms obstinate and stubborn are sometimes interchangeable, but obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence.

an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

When could pertinacious be used to replace stubborn?

While in some cases nearly identical to stubborn, pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence.

a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

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 stubborn Other memories might feel more ambiguous and faded, while the most stubborn ones don’t come up at all. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025 Deeper, clinical microneedling treatments can target more stubborn issues, helping to stimulate stronger collagen responses and address advanced skin concerns. Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025 The Fiskars Four-Claw Weed Puller Tool is a great option for removing stubborn dandelions and thistle without leaving you with sore knees or an achy back afterward. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2025 Susan Green developed a stubborn cough in December 2023. Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stubborn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stubborn
Adjective
  • The other parents in Julianna’s comments had a similarly good sense of humor about how weaning an obstinate toddler can sometimes feel like negotiating with a dictator.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 11 Sep. 2025
  • There’s something admirable, in an obstinate way, about Coen choosing to make lesbian B-movies that clock in at under 90 minutes as his first and second solo features following his creative split with Joel in 2018.
    Daniel Bromfield, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • While the police union is adamant the city needs to provide them raises, some community advocates have spoken out, arguing the police department already takes up a significant amount of the city's budget.
    Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
  • And in a now-viral TikTok, Stunna was adamant about denying last-minute plus-ones to his wedding.
    Nathan Vinson, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In the complicated, thorny, offensive, manipulative, sometimes hilarious, sometimes uncomfortable video interview, which evokes the feeling of an uncle sitting down with his hardheaded nephew, Thug is reeling and full of so much anxiety that his legs are shaking.
    Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Flash mobs in the Loop are a real problem demanding hardheaded solutions.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • His evocation of the sights, sounds, and even smells of Victorian London was as gripping as his psychological portrait of the brilliant and bizarre Thomas de Quincey and his tender relationship with his headstrong and independent daughter Emily.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The drama follows Veneno (played by non-pro Víctor Miguel), a headstrong young drifter who survives by seducing truck drivers at 24-hour roadside diners called cachimbas.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • For 19 years, its dedicated staff and steadfast supporters have provided vital care to over 100,000 young people across southern Africa, including young people living with HIV/AIDS and those facing mental health challenges.
    Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
  • After that harrowing hike up the boulder field, the nerve-wracking exposure of our search site has pushed even this steadfast high-drive purebred over threshold.
    Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump could end his indulgent policies soon, especially if Putin continues to be intransigent.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
  • The second gain for Ukraine is that the intransigent nature of Putin – despite all of Trump’s fawning – was widely on display.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stubborn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stubborn. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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