INTRACTABLE Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'intractable' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of intractable are headstrong , recalcitrant , refractory , ungovernable , unruly , and willful . While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control. // intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

Q: When would 'headstrong' be a good substitute for 'intractable'?

The synonyms headstrong and intractable are sometimes interchangeable, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion. // a headstrong young cavalry officer

Q: When is 'recalcitrant' a more appropriate choice than 'intractable'?

Although the words recalcitrant and intractable have much in common, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority. // acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

Q: When can 'refractory' be used instead of 'intractable'?

While in some cases nearly identical to intractable , refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold. // special schools for refractory children

Q: Where would 'ungovernable' be a reasonable alternative to 'intractable'?

The words ungovernable and intractable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'unruly' instead of 'intractable'?

The words unruly and intractable can be used in similar contexts, but unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior. // unruly children

Q: When could 'willful' be used to replace 'intractable'?

The meanings of willful and intractable largely overlap; however, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way. // a willful disregard for the rights of others

intractable

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl

Definition of intractable next

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others cats are by nature fairly intractable animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective intractable differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of intractable are headstrong, recalcitrant, refractory, ungovernable, unruly, and willful. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

When would headstrong be a good substitute for intractable?

The synonyms headstrong and intractable are sometimes interchangeable, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

When is recalcitrant a more appropriate choice than intractable?

Although the words recalcitrant and intractable have much in common, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

When can refractory be used instead of intractable?

While in some cases nearly identical to intractable, refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

Where would ungovernable be a reasonable alternative to intractable?

The words ungovernable and intractable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When is it sensible to use unruly instead of intractable?

The words unruly and intractable can be used in similar contexts, but unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

When could willful be used to replace intractable?

The meanings of willful and intractable largely overlap; however, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of intractable The uncertainty makes the theft of the camera footage and archive one of the most intractable and damaging mysteries of the post-regime period. —

Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026 San Francisco currently spends about $700 million to $800 million per year on homelessness, aided by the passage in 2018 of the Proposition C gross receipts tax on businesses with annual revenue greater than $50 million, but has yet to make a dent in its intractable homelessness problem. —

Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026 The size of the College Football Playoff seems to be the most digestible of the thus-far intractable standoffs, but still, there’s no resolution on the horizon. —

ABC News, 18 May 2026 While still politically uncompromising and laced with cutting wit, All of a Sudden is a remarkably open-hearted work, confronting seemingly intractable systems with a simple belief in people. —

David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for intractable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for intractable

Adjective

For seven seasons, a hodgepodge crew mixing Starfleet and the rebellious Maquis put aside their differences after they got zapped 70,000 lightyears away from Earth, deep into the uncharted Delta Quadrant.

— Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

Colombia earned its passage into the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over stubborn Ghana.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Pickle Robot’s Physical AI unloaders tackle the dock door bottleneck, which is a stubborn pain point in inbound logistics, while AmbiStack handles the structured, high-volume stacking that feeds downstream operations.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 July 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

In early 2025, fighting broke out between Congolese authorities and groups led by the rebel paramilitary group M23.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026
In the middle of the developments are are lawyer Wayne Hsiung and rebel Rose Patterson, who through the process of filming, fell in love, got married and adopted James, a dog rescued from the facility in March.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 July 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

Continue contributing enough to capture any employer match, prioritize paying off high-rate debt and explore debt relief options if your balances have become unmanageable.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Unkempt vines will continue to grow vigorously and become unmanageable.

— Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2026

Definition of unmanageable

Adjective

Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.

— Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026

Definition of recalcitrant

Adjective

The jealousy that emanates from every pore of this guy is uncontrollable.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026
An uncontrollable laugh when tickled is vastly different from a polite laugh in a meeting, an infectious laugh during a movie, or a nervous little giggle after making a mistake.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 June 2026

Definition of uncontrollable

Adjective

These warm hundreds of tonnes of refractory bricks to temperatures up to 1,500 °C.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2025
This is, by far, the most common TES approach in industry, with most companies using legacy technologies like refractory bricks and molten salt to store heat in insulated shipping containers.

— Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025