Added 9 October 2026
obdurate
/ˈɒbdʒʊɹɪt/ adjective
Latin root: obdūrātus First recorded: 1450 Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about obdurate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing.
-
Showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings.
his flinty gaze
Origin
First attested in the 1450s, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English obdurat(e), borrowed from Latin obdūrātus (“hardened”), perfect passive participle of obdūrō (“to harden”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob- (“against”) + dūrō (“to harden, render hard”), from dūrus (“hard”). Compare durable, endure.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)