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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obdurate
Over the next several hundred million years, terrestrial plants of all kinds profoundly altered the planet, accelerating the water cycle, turning obdurate crust into supple soil—and pushing the level of atmospheric oxygen to new heights.
—
Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
To Matthew and Rachelle, who by now had become attuned to the obdurate implacability of British authorities, the coroner’s response was maddening: this was their final opportunity to ascertain the truth.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Regina Hall came down with pneumonia while shooting Girls Trip, the irreverent 2017 comedy from Will Packer, a savant who repeatedly has shown an obdurate Hollywood that Black movies can mint money at the box office.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2024
By the spring of 1945, with Germany defeated, the Allies turned to an obdurate Japan.
—Peter Englund, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for obdurate
Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
To Matthew and Rachelle, who by now had become attuned to the obdurate implacability of British authorities, the coroner’s response was maddening: this was their final opportunity to ascertain the truth.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Regina Hall came down with pneumonia while shooting Girls Trip, the irreverent 2017 comedy from Will Packer, a savant who repeatedly has shown an obdurate Hollywood that Black movies can mint money at the box office.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2024
By the spring of 1945, with Germany defeated, the Allies turned to an obdurate Japan.
—Peter Englund, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for obdurate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obdurate
Adjective
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Whoever sells the most wins a car; whoever sells the least is out of a job – a ruthless environment where each character will do anything to come out on top.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2025
-
However, his plans to go straight are threatened when his final heist spirals out of control, pulling him into a deadly game of survival against ruthless criminals—including the unhinged Bats (Jamie Foxx) and the wild coupling of Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza González).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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One daughter, loving but stubborn, leaves for Vilna to study nursing.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
-
The true top is still stubborn, though: In 2023 women made up just over 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 9% of the FTSE CEOs, and 5.4% of CEOs of the S&P Global Broad Market Index.—
Kweilin Ellingrud,
TIME,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Back then, residents of the burgeoning Los Angeles area had no idea a merciless killer was lurking in their midst until Feb. 2, 1928, when the headless, naked body of a teenage boy was found in a ditch on a dusty road near the sleepy suburb of La Puente.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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The draft being held in Pittsburgh meant the Flyers were subject to merciless booing.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Theoretically, then, the pressure is off, but Howe is adamant this season cannot be allowed to peter out.—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
18 Mar. 2025
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And while head coach Carlo Ancelotti was adamant that Alvarez kicked the ball twice, Simeone wasn’t having any of it after being shown a clip of it by Movistar prior to heading to his post-match press conference.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Sam Teicher, chief reef officer at Coral Vita, emphasized in an email interview that decades of degradation have wiped out at least 80% of the Bahamas' coral reefs, a crisis exacerbated by events like Hurricane Dorian and the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease.—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
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There was some stony silence that seemed to annoy Trump.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Seven years later, Trump remains steadfast in his support of the act, giving advocates on both sides of the aisle a sense of cautious optimism about the possibility of more reform.—
Taylor Millard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
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In many ways, however, the tradition and Peterson’s dedication to it remain steadfast.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obdurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obdurate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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