Obdurate
— stubborn; obstinate
Obdurate means stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion, course of action, or behavior, even in the face of overwhelming reason or pressure. It implies a hard, unyielding quality — like stone that cannot be shaped or softened.
An obdurate refusal is not just firm — it is immovable. An obdurate person is beyond persuasion, beyond pleading, beyond logic. The word carries a strongly negative connotation, suggesting that the stubbornness is unreasonable and often harmful, not principled.
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Memory Mnemonic
bOB DURABLE ATE
The keyword bOB DURABLE ATE comes from how Obdurate sounds when spoken aloud. This pronunciation connection makes it easy to recall the keyword whenever you hear or see the word.
Memory Link
BOB was so DURABLE in his stubbornness that he ATE only raw onions for 30 years — completely stubborn and obstinate, refusing to try anything else even when doctors begged him!
Picture BOB, so DURABLE in his stubbornness that he ATE nothing but raw onions for thirty years — doctors begged, family pleaded, friends gave up, but BOB would not budge. Visualise him sitting at the dinner table, plate of raw onions in front of him, jaw set, eyes defiant, absolutely refusing to change. That rock-hard, unreasonable stubbornness is obdurate.
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Usage Examples
- Despite pleas from his family and doctors, the obdurate patient refused all treatment.
- The obdurate negotiator would not budge on a single point, even as the deal collapsed.
- Her obdurate resistance to any form of compromise made collaboration impossible.
- The obdurate dictator ignored international sanctions and continued his policies unchanged.
- He remained obdurate in his decision to sell the family home, despite everyone's objections.
Etymology of Obdurate
From Latin obduratus, past participle of obdurare, meaning "to harden," from ob- (against) + durare (to harden, to endure). The word entered English in the 15th century and has always described someone whose will has hardened to the point of being completely immovable.
Synonyms & Antonyms of Obdurate
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Collocations with Obdurate
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