RECALCITRANT Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of recalcitrant are headstrong , intractable , refractory , ungovernable , unruly , and willful . While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority. // acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

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

The words headstrong and recalcitrant can be used in similar contexts, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion. // a headstrong young cavalry officer

Q: When might 'intractable' be a better fit than 'recalcitrant'?

While the synonyms intractable and recalcitrant are close in meaning, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control. // intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

Q: When could 'refractory' be used to replace 'recalcitrant'?

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

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

Although the words ungovernable and recalcitrant have much in common, 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: In what contexts can 'unruly' take the place of 'recalcitrant'?

The words unruly and recalcitrant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior. // unruly children

Q: When would 'willful' be a good substitute for 'recalcitrant'?

The synonyms willful and recalcitrant are sometimes interchangeable, but willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way. // a willful disregard for the rights of others

recalcitrant

adjective

ri-ˈkal-sə-trənt

Definition of recalcitrant

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control the manager worried that the recalcitrant employee would try to undermine his authority

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others a heart-to-heart talk with the recalcitrant youth revealed that he had a troubled life at home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective recalcitrant differ from other similar words?

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

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

When is headstrong a more appropriate choice than recalcitrant?

The words headstrong and recalcitrant can be used in similar contexts, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

When might intractable be a better fit than recalcitrant?

While the synonyms intractable and recalcitrant are close in meaning, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

When could refractory be used to replace recalcitrant?

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

special schools for refractory children

Where would ungovernable be a reasonable alternative to recalcitrant?

Although the words ungovernable and recalcitrant have much in common, 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

In what contexts can unruly take the place of recalcitrant?

The words unruly and recalcitrant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

When would willful be a good substitute for recalcitrant?

The synonyms willful and recalcitrant are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 recalcitrant 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 Initially blocked by recalcitrant Democratic members of the House, the legislation was reintroduced during a lame-duck session following the 2024 election. — Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026 If Anthropic does not acquiesce by Friday, the Pentagon could invoke the Defense Production Act and force the recalcitrant AI company to comply. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Feb. 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 See All Example Sentences for recalcitrant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for recalcitrant

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

For as long as the American Dream has been around, homeownership was considered an intractable piece of the wealth-building puzzle.

— Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Two Ships is thus a narrative for our time, when the aspirational vision of oneness has given way to intractable twoness.

— James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Definition of intractable

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

Definition of refractory

Adjective

The Legislature has repeatedly rejected stiffer criminal penalties for wayward operators and stymied efforts to let cities or counties pick up enforcement slack when state inspectors are overburdened.

— Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 July 2026
The National Fire Protection Association encourages everyone to leave the fireworks to the professionals who are prepared to manage any wayward sparks.

— Lauren Lowman, The Conversation, 29 June 2026

Definition of wayward

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

Browse Nearby Words

recalcitrancy

recalcitrant

recalculate

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Recalcitrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recalcitrant. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of recalcitrant

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

The Words of the Week - Apr. 18

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on recalcitrant

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of recalcitrant

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to recalcitrant

The Words of the Week - Apr. 18

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on recalcitrant

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes