First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
stubborn
adjective stub·born \ˈstə-bərn\
: refusing to change your ideas or to stop doing something
: difficult to deal with, remove, etc.
Full Definition of STUBBORN
1
2
: performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner <stubborn effort>
3
: difficult to handle, manage, or treat <a stubborn cold>
See stubborn defined for English-language learners
See stubborn defined for kids
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Examples of STUBBORN
- Louise was not the first to posit the idea of a miniature horse ancestral to the Arab; but she was the only one stubborn enough to prove it. —Jason Elliot, Mirrors of the Unseen, 2006
- To remove stubborn price tags from items like dishes and glassware, I use a cotton pad or Q-tip soaked with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol dissolves the sticky glue and doesn't mess up my manicure. —Kathe Palmucci, Real Simple, April 2003
- In the search for strategies to deal with the stubborn and deadly problem of driving under the influence, many cops are turning to an unusual tactic: Recruiting volunteer drinkers and drug users to teach officers to recognize impaired drivers. —Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, 29 Oct. 2002
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Origin of STUBBORN
Middle English stibourne, stuborn
Related to STUBBORN
- Synonyms
- adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, obstinate, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful)
Synonym Discussion of STUBBORN
obstinate, dogged, stubborn, pertinacious, mulish mean fixed and unyielding in course or purpose. obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence <an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories>. dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence <pursued the story with dogged perseverance>. stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable <a person too stubborn to admit error>. pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence <a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer>. mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy <a mulish determination to have his own way>.
STUBBORNLY Defined for Kids
stubborn
adjective stub·born \ˈstə-bərn\
Definition of STUBBORN for Kids
1
: refusing to change an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or urging <She's too stubborn to ask for help.>
2
: persistent <a stubborn cough>
3
: difficult to handle, manage, or treat <a stubborn stain>
— stub·born·ly adverb
— stub·born·ness noun
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