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Added 9 October 2026

stubborn

/ˈstʌbɚn/ adjective

In Latin: obstinātus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about stubborn at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Refusing to move or to change one's opinion; obstinate; firmly resisting; persistent in doing something.
People are pretty stubborn about their political beliefs, so why bother arguing?
Physically stiff and inflexible; not easily melted or worked.

noun

Stubbornness.
Ellipsis of stubborn disease (“a disease of citrus trees”).

Origin

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).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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