Synonyms for obstinacy
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Stubbornness
stubbornness, self-will, intransigence, inflexibility, tenacity, recalcitrance, insistence, persistence, persistency, firmness, resolution, doggedness, pertinacity, mulishness, pigheadedness, intractability, obduracy, resoluteness, contumacy, obstinance, bullheadedness, indocility
Other
perversity, bigotry, conviction, heartiness, perverseness, obstinence, cussedness dated
Definitions
- n. 1
The state, or an act, of stubbornness or doggedness.
He finished only through a mixture of determined obstinacy and ingenuity.
Related words
- Word family
- obstinate
Forms
- Plural
- obstinacies → stubbornnesses, intransigences, inflexibilities, tenacities…
Choose the right word
Obstinacy is great firmness in holding out against persuasion, attack, etc. An opinion is advocated with pertinacity or defended with obstinacy.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Example sentences
- tenacity With tenacity like that, you can learn any language.
- stubbornness There was a certain stubbornness in his voice.
- intransigence Tom's intransigence is so frustrating.
- conviction An opinion is shocking only if it is a conviction.
- bigotry It feels like Islamophobia is an acceptable form of bigotry.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| obstinacy | steady | |
| tenacity | steady | |
| stubbornness | rising | |
| intransigence | steady | |
| inflexibility | falling | |
| conviction | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 7 letters
- bigotry3
- 8 letters
- tenacity4, firmness2, obduracy
- 9 letters
- contumacy
- 10 letters
- resolution4, conviction3, insistence3, perversity4, doggedness, heartiness, cussedness, obstinance, mulishness, indocility, obstinence
- 11 letters
- persistence3, persistency, pertinacity
- 12 letters
- stubbornness3, resoluteness, perverseness
- 13 letters
- intransigence4, inflexibility6, recalcitrance4, pigheadedness
- 14 letters
- intractability, bullheadedness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bigotry3 = 3 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- obstination
- Italiano
- ostinazione
- Español
- obstinación
- Deutsch
- Eigensinn