obdurate

/'ɔbdjurit/
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obdurate

The judge remained obdurate despite the defendant's emotional plea.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Stubbornly resistant to persuasion, moral influence, or emotional appeal: Describes a person who refuses to change their opinion, attitude, or course of action despite appeals or reasoning.
    • Hardened in feelings or morally insensitive: Describes a person who is not moved by pity, sympathy, or tender feelings.
Usage
  • The word "obdurate" is a formal adjective, typically used to describe a person's character, attitude, or heart. It carries a strong negative connotation, implying a willful and often unreasonable stubbornness or lack of compassion.
  • It is used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "be," "seem," "remain").
Examples
  • Attributive use:
    • The judge was obdurate and refused to reduce the sentence.
    • Despite the pleas for mercy, he maintained an obdurate silence.
  • Predicative use:
    • She remained obdurate in her decision to sell the company.
    • His heart seemed obdurate to their suffering.
Advanced Usage
  • "obdurate in (something)": Stubbornly persistent in a particular attitude or action.
    • He was obdurate in his refusal to apologize.
  • "obdurate to (something)": Unmoved or unresponsive to a particular influence, such as pleas or feelings.
    • The tyrant was obdurate to all appeals for clemency.
Variants and Related Words
  • Obduracy (noun): The quality or state of being obdurate; stubbornness.
    • Her obduracy made negotiations impossible.
Different Meanings

The core meaning of "obdurate" consistently relates to stubbornness and emotional hardness. The nuance can vary slightly between: 1. Willful stubbornness: Emphasizing a refusal to change one's mind. 2. Moral or emotional hardness: Emphasizing a lack of compassion or sensitivity.

Synonyms
  • Adamant: Refusing to be persuaded or to change one's mind.
  • Inflexible: Unwilling to change or compromise.
  • Intransigent: Unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something.
  • Unbending: Not yielding or not capable of being persuaded.
  • Callous: Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.
Antonyms
  • Compliant: Inclined to agree with others or obey rules.
  • Pliable: Easily bent or influenced.
  • Compassionate: Feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others.
  • Yielding: Giving way under pressure; not stiff or rigid.
Idioms and Phrases

While "obdurate" itself is not commonly used in idioms, it describes the quality central to phrases like: - To harden one's heart: To become less sympathetic or compassionate. - He hardened his heart against their cries for help, becoming truly obdurate.

obdurate

The judge remained obdurate despite the defendant's emotional plea.

Adjective
  1. showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings
    • his flinty gaze
    • the child's misery would move even the most obdurate heart
  2. stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

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