obdurate

[ ob-doo-rit, -dyoo- ]

/ ˈɒb dʊ rɪt, -dyʊ- /

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See synonyms for: obdurate / obdurately / obdurateness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.

stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent: an obdurate sinner.

OTHER WORDS FOR obdurate

1 hard, obstinate, callous, unbending, inflexible.

2 unregenerate, reprobate, shameless.

See synonyms for obdurate on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR obdurate

1 soft, tractable.

2 humble, repentant.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of obdurate

1400–50; late Middle English obdurat<Latin obdūrātus (past participle of obdūrāre to harden), equivalent to ob-ob- + dūr(us) hard + -ātus-ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM obdurate

ob·du·rate·ly, adverbob·du·rate·ness, nounun·ob·du·rate, adjectiveun·ob·du·rate·ly, adverb

un·ob·du·rate·ness, noun

Words nearby obdurate

obcuneate, obdt., obduce, obduction, obduracy, obdurate, O.B.E., obeah, O beautiful for spacious skies, obeche, obedience

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use obdurate in a sentence

Yet instead of scaling back their political ambitions in the face of an obdurate reality, they are escalating them.
Are Moderate Republicans Useless?|David Frum|January 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Supporters of the president will rally, but opponents of the president will become more obdurate.
President Obama: Now is Not the Time to Lead|David Frum|December 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It happened because of massive and obdurate resistance to reasonable change.
A Little Charlotte History|Michael Tomasky|September 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
We tried to reason with him, but he became increasingly obdurate.
Richard Holbrooke on the Dayton Peace Accords|Richard Holbrooke|December 15, 2010|DAILY BEAST

And is it possible that the Doa can be obdurate to such irresistible attractions?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
Still, the Prince foresaw the future, and appealed to the Emperor himself, but the Emperor was obdurate.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Many of these pipes are sculptured from the most obdurate stones and display great delicacy of workmanship.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The old woman meanwhile tried to soften the obdurate wall with melted butter and new milk—but in vain.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
The most obdurate heart could not have exacted further patience, and Cæsar instantly gave in.
The Spy|J. Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for obdurate

obdurate

/ (ˈɒbdjʊrɪt) /

adjective

not easily moved by feelings or supplication; hardhearted

impervious to persuasion, esp to moral persuasion

Derived forms of obdurate

obduracy or obdurateness, nounobdurately, adverb

Word Origin for obdurate

C15: from Latin obdūrāre to make hard, from ob- (intensive) + dūrus hard; compare endure

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

obdurate

OTHER WORDS FOR obdurate

OPPOSITES FOR obdurate

Origin of obdurate

OTHER WORDS FROM obdurate

Words nearby obdurate

Words related to obdurate

How to use obdurate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for obdurate

Derived forms of obdurate

Word Origin for obdurate