Standard Lemma guide

obduracy

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˈɒb.dʊ.ɹə.si/
  • UK: /-djʊ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈɑbdʊɹəsi/
  • US: /-djʊ-/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

resoluteness by virtue of being unyielding and inflexible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adamance, unyieldingness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: resoluteness, firmness, firmness of purpose, resolve, resolution

History

Etymology

From obdur(ate) + -acy.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: закоравялост (zakoravjalost) — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Catalan: obstinació — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Dutch: koppigheid — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Finnish: itsepintaisuus — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Finnish: jääräpäisyys — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • French: entêtement — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • French: obstination — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • German: Verstocktheit — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Greek: σκληροκαρδία (sklirokardía) — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Greek: πώρωση (pórosi) — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Greek: ισχυρογνωμοσύνη (ischyrognomosýni) — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Irish: aindiúid — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Polish: upór — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Portuguese: obstinação — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Russian: упря́мство (uprjámstvo) — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible
  • Spanish: obstinación — The state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible