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stubborn resistance
staunch resistance
determined resistance
hardheaded resistance
tenacious resistance
unyielding resistance
a stubborn streak
a defiant streak
a determined streak
a tenacious streak
an uncompromising streak
a rebellious streak
a stubborn child
a hardheaded child
a defiant child
a rebellious child
a headstrong child
an obdurate child
stubborn stains
tough stains
persistent stains
difficult stains
impossible stains

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

Examples of stubborn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This spot corrector treats stubborn post-acne marks thanks to its potent elixir of kojic acid, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid. Sarah Han, Allure, 3 Oct. 2024 How to Get Rid of a Deep, Painful Cystic Pimple Your usual zit-zapping strategies probably won’t work for these stubborn bumps. Renee Cherry, SELF, 30 Sep. 2024 Remover That’s Full of Nourishing Ingredients Don’t let stubborn dark spots ruin your confidence—invest in this dark spot remover. Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2024 The most common cause of stubborn toilet bowl stains is hard water buildup. Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stubborn 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stubborn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near stubborn

Cite this Entry

“Stubborn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stubborn. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on stubborn

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