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ob·sti·nate
 ( b st -n t)
KEY
ADJECTIVE:
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English obstinat, from Latin obstin  tus, past participle of obstinre, to persist; see st- in Indo-European rootsOTHER FORMS: ob sti·nate·ly
(Adverb),
obsti·nate·ness
(Noun)
SYNONYMS: obstinate , stubborn , headstrong , stiff-necked , bullheaded , pigheaded , mulish , dogged , pertinacious These adjectives mean tenaciously unwilling to yield. Obstinate implies unreasonable rigidity: "Mr. Quincy labored hard with the governor to obtain his assent, but he was obstinate" (Benjamin Franklin). Stubborn pertains to innate, often perverse resoluteness or unyieldingness: "She was very stubborn when her mind was made up" (Samuel Butler). One who is headstrong is stubbornly, often recklessly willful: The headstrong teenager ignored school policy. Stiff-necked implies stubbornness combined with arrogance or aloofness: The stiff-necked customer irked the cashier. Bullheaded suggests foolish or irrational obstinacy, and pigheaded, stupid obstinacy: Don't be bullheaded; see a doctor. "It's a pity pious folks are so apt to be pigheaded" (Harriet Beecher Stowe). Mulish implies the obstinacy and intractability associated with a mule: "Obstinate is no word for it, for she is mulish" (Ouida). Dogged emphasizes stubborn perseverance: dogged persistence; "two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder" (W.E.B. Du Bois). Pertinacious stresses a tenacity of purpose, opinion, or course of action that is sometimes viewed as vexatious: The tax bill's vocal and pertinacious critics led to its defeat.
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