stubborn

B1 Topic:Describing People

US /ˈstʌbɚn/ UK /ˈstʌbən/ See IPA manual

Freq #3548

Meanings

1

adj
Refusing to change your mind or do what others want.

He is too stubborn to admit that he was wrong.
2

adj
Difficult to remove, deal with, or get rid of.

There is a stubborn stain on the carpet that won't come out.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · refusing to change your... obstinate

2 adj · difficult to remove, deal... refractory

More adamant contrary disobedient enduring headstrong insubordinate obdurateperseverantpersistent rebellious undisciplined

Word family

Forms stubbornerstubbornest

Derived forms mule-stubbornoutstubbornstubbornly stubbornnessstubbornsunstubborn

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

stubborn streak
a persistent tendency to resist changing one's mind or behavior

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English stiborne, stibourne, stoburn, stoburne, styburne, stiborn, of uncertain origin; one hypothesis is that it may be from Old English *stybbor, from Old English stybb (“a stump, stub”) + -or (adjective-formation suffix, as in bitor, whence English bitter).

stiborne Middle English *stybbor Old English stybb Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing People

External links

# stubborn

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈstʌbɚn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈstʌbən/
**Frequency rank:** 3548

## Meanings
1. Refusing to change your mind or do what others want.
2. Difficult to remove, deal with, or get rid of.

## Examples
- He is too stubborn to admit that he was wrong.
- There is a stubborn stain on the carpet that won't come out.

## Synonyms
- adamant
- contrary
- disobedient
- enduring
- headstrong
- insubordinate
- obdurate
- obstinate
- perseverant
- persistent
- rebellious
- undisciplined

## Derived Forms
- mule-stubborn
- outstubborn
- stubbornly
- stubbornness
- stubborns
- unstubborn

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: stiborne
- Root: *stybbor
- Root: stybb

## Etymology
From Middle English stiborne, stibourne, stoburn, stoburne, styburne, stiborn, of uncertain origin; one hypothesis is that it may be from Old English *stybbor, from Old English stybb (“a stump, stub”) + -or (adjective-formation suffix, as in bitor, whence English bitter).

## AI Etymology
Stubborn is from Middle English stiborne, stibourne, stoburn, stoburne, styburne, stiborn, of uncertain origin; one hypothesis is that it may be from Old English *stybbor, from Old English stybb (“a stump, stub”) + -or (adjective-formation suffix, as in bitor, whence English bitter). In present-day use, it can mean refusing to change your mind or do what others want, or difficult to remove, deal with, or get rid of.

## Topics
- Describing People

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