1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the obdurate refusal of the crotchety old man to let the neighborhood kids retrieve their stray ball from his backyard
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
an obdurate farmer who could never be convinced to try a different method of fertilization
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of obdurate
By the spring of 1945, with Germany defeated, the Allies turned to an obdurate Japan.
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Peter Englund, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
The camera often pans to the obdurate face of an office clock, showing time frozen but also inexorably passing—the burning fuse of Chow and Su’s relationship.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2023
On Tuesday, Torres signed a pledge with a powerful association of some three-hundred eighty thousand military veterans who are notorious for their obdurate conservatism and belligerence.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023
This is a line of chatter that was heavily promoted by the late private equity billionaire Peter G. Peterson, one of the most obdurate enemies of Social Security.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for obdurate 
Peter Englund, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
The camera often pans to the obdurate face of an office clock, showing time frozen but also inexorably passing—the burning fuse of Chow and Su’s relationship.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2023
On Tuesday, Torres signed a pledge with a powerful association of some three-hundred eighty thousand military veterans who are notorious for their obdurate conservatism and belligerence.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023
This is a line of chatter that was heavily promoted by the late private equity billionaire Peter G. Peterson, one of the most obdurate enemies of Social Security.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for obdurate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obdurate
Adjective
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Their life is interrupted by the arrival of a group of pale, ghostly white lions, an outsider tribe of scavengers led by the ruthless Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), looking to occupy and control this land.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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Storks Are Fascinating Beyond Their Brood Reducing Ways Despite their ruthless parenting, storks are fascinating creatures with other interesting traits.Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Fed’s preferred inflation measure — the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — is due Friday and could similarly show stubborn price pressures.Bryan Mena, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
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However, Kamil Kovar, senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, argued in a note that stubborn core inflation would continue to spur ECB caution next year.Jenni Reid, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix Season two picks up exactly where the first left off, as Gi-hun devises a plan: track down the organizers of the game and end that merciless contest once and for all.Radhika Seth, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
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Season 2 doesn’t top the shocking novelty of the first season, made iconic by that giant mechanical girl in charge of a merciless game of red light, green light.Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The company has long maintained that privacy is a fundamental human right and has been adamant that the information stored on its devices be accessible only to the people that own them.Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Despite the abuse Drea and her kids have experienced, the mother of three is adamant about keeping her ex-husband’s last name.Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Brain coral is a hard coral, also known as a stony coral or reef builder.Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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Playing the stony henchman who very gradually emits flickers of affection for his reluctant mark has brought the actor, already famous in his motherland, international visibility and a place in the awards conversation.Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Despite his impressive achievements, Hight remains steadfast in his decision to focus on his health.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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Grennan, meanwhile, has been steadfast in his campaign for No. 1 this week.Sophie Williams, Billboard, 17 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near obdurate
Cite this Entry
“Obdurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obdurate. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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