1
Refuse persuasion
Remain unmoved by strong arguments.
Example
The board stayed obdurate despite the new evidence.
obdurate
/ˈɒbdjərət/ · OB-dyuh-ruhtadjective
Stubbornly refusing to change, often with hardened insensitivity.
Use obdurate for persistent resistance that remains unmoved by reason, appeal, or suffering.
What obdurate Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Resist compassionate appeal
Show hardened unwillingness to respond to need.
Example
Officials were obdurate in the face of residents' hardship.
3
Persistent problem
Resist repeated efforts at correction.
Example
An obdurate software fault delayed the launch.
Use obdurate Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The board stayed obdurate despite the new evidence.
Officials were obdurate in the face of residents' hardship.
An obdurate software fault delayed the launch.
Precision Matters
Obdurate overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
obdurate
vs.Adds a sense of hardened insensitivity.
obstinate
Means unreasonably stubborn.
obdurate
vs.Is usually critical.
adamant
Can describe principled firmness neutrally.
obdurate
vs.Is insensitive to appeal.
benevolent
Is guided by goodwill.
obdurate
vs.Resists accommodation.
reconcile
Restores agreement.
Test obdurate in Context
The council is stubborn and unmoved by suffering.
1
Even after families documented the policy's harm, the council remained ___, refusing both revision and further discussion.