Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Stubborn; obstinate: Refusing to change one's opinion, attitude, or course of action despite reason or persuasion. It implies a rigid adherence to one's own ideas, often based on preconceived notions or prejudices.
   • Persistent in a negative sense: Continuing firmly in a mistaken or unwise belief or course of action.

2. Verb (less common):

   • To be stubborn about; to cling obstinately to: The act of stubbornly maintaining an opinion or bearing a grudge.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy quá cố chấp, không chịu nghe ý kiến của ai. (He is too stubborn to listen to anyone's opinion.)
  • Thái độ cố chấp của ông chủ đã gây ra nhiều vấn đề. (The boss's obstinate attitude caused many problems.)
• Verb:
  • Đừng cố chấp với những lỗi lầm nhỏ của người khác. (Don't stubbornly cling to the small mistakes of others.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a negative connotation, criticizing a lack of openness, flexibility, or magnanimity. It is stronger than simply being "determined" and implies an unreasonable rigidity.
• It can describe both an ingrained personality trait ( - a stubborn person) and a specific stance on an issue ( - a stubborn opinion).

Variants and Related Words

• Sự cố chấp (n): Stubbornness, obstinacy.
  • Sự cố chấp của anh ta thật khó chịu. (His stubbornness is really annoying.)
• Ngoan cố (adj): Obdurate, recalcitrant. This is a close synonym, often with a stronger sense of defiance.

Synonyms

• Stubborn: Unwilling to change one's mind.
• Obstinate: Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion.
• Inflexible: Unwilling to change or compromise.
• Pigheaded (informal): Stupidly obstinate.

Antonyms

• Open-minded: Willing to consider new ideas.
• Flexible: Ready and able to change.
• Reasonable: Having sound judgment; fair.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Cố chấp, thiển cận: Stubborn and short-sighted. This phrase highlights how stubbornness often limits one's perspective.
• While "cố chấp" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in phrases like (stubborn character) or (stubbornness of heart).

1. persistent; stubborn