Intractable | Definition of intractable by Merriam-Webster

Full Definition of INTRACTABLE

1

: not easily governed, managed, or directed <intractable problems>

2

: not easily manipulated or wrought <intractable metal>

3

: not easily relieved or cured <intractable pain>

— in·trac·ta·bil·i·ty \(ˌ)in-ˌtrak-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— in·trac·ta·bly \-blē\ adverb

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Examples of INTRACTABLE

Contrary to the idea of black holes sucking everything, even light, into inconceivable nothingness, Hawking proposed that there was one thing that could escape a black hole's intractable grip: thermal radiation … —Bruno Maddox, Discover, September 2006
Sepsis, which is what happens to the body when an infection goes bad, is one of mankind's oldest and most intractable foes. —Leon Jaroff, Time, 24 July 2000
But now anesthesiologists have begun turning to an herb to help treat a deadly and often intractable lung condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people a year. —Eric Nagourney, New York Times, 26 Oct. 1999
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Origin of INTRACTABLE

Latin intractabilis, from in- + tractabilis tractable

First Known Use: 1531

Related to INTRACTABLE

Synonyms: balky, contrary, contumacious, defiant, froward, incompliant, insubordinate, disobedient, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, restive, ungovernable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful (or wilful)

Antonyms: amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable, docile, obedient, ruly, submissive, tractable

Synonym Discussion of INTRACTABLE

unruly, ungovernable, intractable, refractory, recalcitrant, willful, headstrong mean not submissive to government or control. unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior <unruly children>. ungovernable implies either an escape from control or guidance or a state of being unsubdued and incapable of controlling oneself or being controlled by others <ungovernable rage>. intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control <intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump>. refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold <special schools for refractory children>. recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority <acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace>. willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way <a willful disregard for the rights of others>. headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion <a headstrong young cavalry officer>.

Other Metals and Metallurgy Terms

assay, bloom, bullion, ductile, ingot, malleable, patina, plate, temper, tensile

Rhymes with INTRACTABLE

abstractable, compactible, contractible, distractible, exactable, extractable, retractable

Medical Definition of INTRACTABLE

1

: not easily managed or controlled (as by antibiotics or psychotherapy) <an intractable child> <activity against many intractable Proteus and Pseudomonas species of bacteria—Annual Report Pfizer>

2

: not easily relieved or cured <intractable pain> <intractable bleeding in duodenal ulcer—Journal of the American Medical Association>

—in·trac·ta·bil·i·ty \(ˌ)in-ˌtrak-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē\ noun, plural in·trac·ta·bil·i·ties

Learn More About INTRACTABLE

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "intractable"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "intractable"

Nglish: Translation of "intractable" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "intractable" for Arabic speakers

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