obstinate
adjectiveattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈɒb.stɪ.nət//
- United Kingdom//ˈɒb.stɪ.nɪt//
- United States//ˈɑb.stə.nət//
- United States//ˈɑb.stə.nɪt//
Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
adjective
- 1
Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
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 […]
[…] 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
- 2
Of an inanimate object, not easily subdued or removed.
an obstinate blockage in the pipe
1925-29, Mahadev Desai (translator), M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Part IV, Chapter XXIX, Now it happened that Kasturbai […] had again begun getting haemorrhage, and the malady seemed to be obstinate.
- 3
Of a facial feature or expression, fixed and unmoving.
He had the same pile of curly hair, but he was clean-shaven with a heavy, obstinate jowl.
Etymology
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.
Forms
- comparative
- more obstinate
- superlative
- most obstinate
obstinate · Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
obstruction · The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.obtain · To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to…obvious · Easily discovered, seen, or understood; self-explanatory.