stubborn means refusing to move or to change one's opinion; obstinate; firmly resisting; persistent in doing something.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, stubborn ranks #1,091 of 14,308 for Most Malleable Words, #3,968 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words, #6,087 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words, #7,082 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words.
stubborn is pronounced /ˈstʌbɚn/.
Why “stubborn” is a great word
Refusing to change one's opinion or course of action despite persuasion or argument. From Middle English *stiborne*, *stibourne*, of uncertain origin; one hypothesis suggests a possible derivation from Old English *stybb* ("a stump, stub") + the adjective-forming suffix *-or*. Unlike "headstrong," which suggests impetuous disregard, or "obstinate," which implies perverse irrationality, stubborn is a quieter, more stoic immobility. It is the mule planted in the dusty road, the rusted bolt that shears the wrench, the old man who sits silently through every tirade—an inertia so profound it becomes its own force, a virtue and a vice of the deepest, most unshakeable roots.
Etymology
From Middle English stiborne, stibourne, stoburn, stoburne, styburne, stiborn, of uncertain origin; one hypothesis is that it may be from Old English *stybbor, from Old English stybb (“a stump, stub”) + -or (adjective-formation suffix, as in bitor, whence English bitter).
adj
- Refusing to move or to change one's opinion; obstinate; firmly resisting; persistent in doing something.“People are pretty stubborn about their political beliefs, so why bother arguing?”
- Physically stiff and inflexible; not easily melted or worked.“Under his hand a stubborn latch sprung noisily […]”
noun
- Stubbornness.“But I have to say that one thing you inherited from your mother is a whole lot of stubborn.”
Words closest in meaning
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