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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obdurate
Ipswich proved obdurate and then generous opponents — Newcastle’s 78 per cent possession was the highest by any team in a Premier League match this season — and their relegation was confirmed by this 3-0 defeat.
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George Caulkin, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Whatever regime emerges could well be even more radical and obdurate.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Advertisement None of that has immunized the lowly smelt from its most obdurate enemy: partisan folly.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Nevertheless, Biden’s obdurate unwillingness to step aside for younger, more plausible Democratic candidates resulted in the reëmergence of his nemesis.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obdurate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obdurate
Adjective
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But he's drawn into a deadly Colombian drama involving a new ruthless arms dealer posing as a humanitarian, Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), and Roxana (Camila Morrone), an American businesswoman.—
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As Iranians know well from 1979, ruthless contests tend to define revolutions.—
Adjective
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These two ingredients mixed together creates a powerful mixture perfect for lifting stubborn stains off grout because of their high cleaning and brightening properties.—
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The vinegar cleaning method isn’t foolproof, and sometimes stubborn residue can remain on your microwave walls.—
Adjective
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With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.—
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All the while, the president, his top advisers, and his public-affairs offices have pumped out rhetoric and imagery that celebrates the merciless, military-style pursuit of deportations.—
Adjective
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Stephen Miller made these comments on CNN and was adamant that this would happen.—
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Although the film would have been far easier to finance if the production took place in another country, Hadi was adamant about shooting in his homeland.—
Adjective
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Without prosecutors empowered to bring charges against wrongdoers, judges willing to strike down overreach, legislators daring enough to demand investigations and change laws, and citizens outraged enough to protest, any revelations by journalists will fall on stony ground.—
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After that historic journey, NASA charted a new course toward Apophis, a stony metal-rich NEA that offers a sharp scientific contrast to Bennu's carbon-rich composition (and was once thought to pose a serious impact risk to Earth).—
Adjective
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What alerted them to her location wasn’t footprints or a cell phone ping, however, but rather the sounds of her steadfast pup, Cami.—
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The year-on-year increases at each major are more modest, usually between 10 and 12 percent, but that percentage of tournament revenue remains steadfast, if not entirely immovable.—
Adjective
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Still, some military analysts remain cautious, noting that satellites are built to endure intense cosmic radiation with hardened components and shielding, leaving open the question of whether such directed energy could penetrate these defenses.—
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If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?—
Cite this Entry
“Obdurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obdurate. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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