1
Core quality
Unwilling to change one's views, compromise, or reach agreement.
Example
Intransigent opposition prevented the committee from reaching a compromise.
intransigent
/ɪnˈtrænsɪdʒənt/ · in-TRAN-sih-juntadjective
Unwilling to change one's views, compromise, or reach agreement.
Use intransigent to express this relationship precisely: unwilling to change one's views, compromise, or reach agreement.
What intransigent Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
The negotiator remained intransigent despite several revised offers.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
Both sides adopted intransigent positions that prolonged the dispute.
Use intransigent Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
Intransigent opposition prevented the committee from reaching a compromise.
The negotiator remained intransigent despite several revised offers.
Both sides adopted intransigent positions that prolonged the dispute.
Precision Matters
Intransigent overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
intransigent
vs.Means unwilling to change one's views, compromise, or reach agreement.
obstinate
Means stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion, course, or behaviour.
intransigent
vs.Means unwilling to change one's views, compromise, or reach agreement.
adamant
Means firmly refusing to change a decision, belief, or position.
intransigent
vs.Means unwilling to change one's views, compromise, or reach agreement.
reconcile
Means restore agreement or make apparently conflicting things compatible.
intransigent
vs.Means unwilling to change one's views, compromise, or reach agreement.
capricious
Means given to sudden, unpredictable changes in mood, behaviour, or decision.
Test intransigent in Context
Both delegations were unwilling to compromise or change their positions.
1
Talks collapsed because the two delegations were ___ and refused to alter any demand.