Word of the day · 25 June 2026
recalcitrant
/rɪˈkælsɪtrənt/
adjective
Stubbornly resistant to authority or control; hard to manage.
In a sentence
- A recalcitrant server kept crashing after every update.
- Negotiators faced a recalcitrant minority that blocked the vote.
- The pony was recalcitrant at the gate and would not load.
In an image
Origin
From Latin recalcitrans, present participle of recalcitrare (to kick back), from re- (back) and calcitrare (to kick), from calx (heel).
History
The heel image stuck: a recalcitrant animal kicks against the goad. English widened it to people, factions and systems that refuse direction. It is stronger than reluctant and closer to defiant. Officials and teachers still reach for it when polite delay becomes open resistance.
Nearby words
defiant · unruly · insubordinate
Pushing back with the heels, not only dragging feet.