Word of the day · 23 July 2026
obdurate
/ˈɒbdjʊrət/
adjective
Stubbornly refusing to change opinion or harden the heart against appeal.
In a sentence
- The committee stayed obdurate despite the petitions.
- An obdurate landlord ignored every repair request.
- He remained obdurate about quitting until the numbers proved him wrong.
In an image
Origin
From Latin obduratus, past participle of obdurare (to harden), from durus (hard).
History
Religious English used obdurate for sinners who would not repent. The sense widened to any stubborn refusal to yield. It is stronger than firm and colder than determined. Speakers reach for it when softness has been offered and rejected.
Nearby words
stubborn · unyielding · intransigent
A will that will not soften under pressure.