Obstinate Meaning
/ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjStubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
adjOf an inanimate object, not easily subdued or removed.
Sentence Examples
You should reckon with his obstinate character.
He was too obstinate, but on the other hand he was reliable.
He became more obstinate as he grew older.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ child refused to eat his vegetables no matter how much his parents pleaded.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite everyone's advice to the contrary, the ____ child refused to eat his green vegetables.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English obstinat(e) (“obstinate, stubborn”), from Latin obstinātus, perfect passive participle of obstinō (“set one's mind firmly upon, resolve”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob (“before”) + *stinare, from stare (“to stand”). Doublet of ostinato.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"From this consideration it is that we have derived the custom, in times of war, to punish […] those who are obstinate to defend a place that by the rules of war is not tenable […]"
— 1686, Montaigne, translated by Charles Cotton, That men are justly punished for being obstinate in the defence of a fort that is not in reason to be defended:
"[…] the junior Osborne was quite as obstinate as the senior: when he wanted a thing, quite as firm in his resolution to get it; and quite as violent when angered, as his father in his most stern moments"
— 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 21, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
"He had the same pile of curly hair, but he was clean-shaven with a heavy, obstinate jowl."
— 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ child refused to eat his vegetables no matter how much his parents pleaded.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite everyone's advice to the contrary, the ____ child refused to eat his green vegetables.