STUBBORN Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'stubborn' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stubborn are dogged , mulish , obstinate , and pertinacious . While all these words mean "fixed and unyielding in course or purpose," stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable. // a person too stubborn to admit error

Q: When might 'dogged' be a better fit than 'stubborn'?

The meanings of dogged and stubborn largely overlap; however, dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence. // pursued the story with dogged perseverance

Q: When is it sensible to use 'mulish' instead of 'stubborn'?

Although the words mulish and stubborn have much in common, mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy. // a mulish determination to have his own way

Q: In what contexts can 'obstinate' take the place of 'stubborn'?

The synonyms obstinate and stubborn are sometimes interchangeable, but obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence. // an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

Q: When could 'pertinacious' be used to replace 'stubborn'?

While in some cases nearly identical to stubborn , pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence. // a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

stubborn

adjective

ˈstə-bərn

Definition of stubborn

as in obstinate

sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion he's just being stubborn, refusing even to try the new toothpaste

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word stubborn distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stubborn are dogged, mulish, obstinate, and pertinacious. While all these words mean "fixed and unyielding in course or purpose," stubborn implies sturdiness in resisting change which may or may not be admirable.

a person too stubborn to admit error

When might dogged be a better fit than stubborn?

The meanings of dogged and stubborn largely overlap; however, dogged suggests an admirable often tenacious and unwavering persistence.

pursued the story with dogged perseverance

When is it sensible to use mulish instead of stubborn?

Although the words mulish and stubborn have much in common, mulish implies a thoroughly unreasonable obstinacy.

a mulish determination to have his own way

In what contexts can obstinate take the place of stubborn?

The synonyms obstinate and stubborn are sometimes interchangeable, but obstinate implies usually an unreasonable persistence.

an obstinate proponent of conspiracy theories

When could pertinacious be used to replace stubborn?

While in some cases nearly identical to stubborn, pertinacious suggests an annoying or irksome persistence.

a pertinacious salesclerk refusing to take no for an answer

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 stubborn Fundora entered the bout looking toward a chance to unify the 154-pound division, but first had to get past a stubborn mandatory challenger. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 The Federal Reserve is also hiking rates again to rein in stubborn inflation. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 Pair that with five years of stubborn inflation, and workers are losing even more ground. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Let the solution sit for up to five minutes, and up to 10 for particularly stubborn grease stains. — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stubborn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stubborn

Adjective

Seems unlikely that Kiffin would be adamant that the Big Ten's nine-game conference schedule is dragging down their results.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
And Ballmer and the Clippers remain adamant the penalties—and the allegations of misconduct—are incorrect.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of adamant

Adjective

Meanwhile, waiting in the wings is a man of few words — and initially, few feelings, or so thinks Marianne — the steadfast Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum).

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The poem continues with more verses about Burns’s steadfast love, but beyond that, nothing really happens.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of steadfast

Adjective

And the Ithacan more than lives up to his reputation as the most obstinate hero in history, regularly taunting Poseidon (Miles Anderson) despite knowing the god will delay his return home.

— Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
When councilman Steve Novick threatened to sue, the Blazers recoiled and became obstinate.

— Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of obstinate

Adjective

Gorbachev, hamstrung by demands from hard-liners back in Moscow, was equally intransigent that no deal could be made so long as SDI was in the works.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Netanyahu and Hamas’s leadership remained intransigent, and the war continued into 2025.

— Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of intransigent

Adjective

The three leads rightly received Best Actress honors in the Un Certain Regard section for their raw portrayal of the headstrong women at the center of an unraveling middle-class family in San José, Costa Rica.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
The matriarch urges the headstrong girl to be more ambitious and ingratiating – in order to attract a good husband.

— Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of headstrong

Adjective

They must be addressed in a hardheaded and balanced way, not as Mayor Johnson insists by simply hiking taxes on businesses and the wealthy.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Andrea Suarez leads a group, We Heart Seattle, that combines care for the homeless with a hardheaded insistence on legal consequences and addiction treatment for drug users.

— Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of hardheaded

Browse Nearby Words

stubbly

stubborn

stubbornly

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“Stubborn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stubborn. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of stubborn

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