Word Study
obdurate
CIDE DICTIONARY
obdurate, a. [L. obduratus, p. p. of obdurare to harden; ob (see Ob-)+ durare to harden, durus hard. See Dure.].
- Hardened in feelings, esp. against moral or mollifying influences; unyielding; hard-hearted; stubbornly wicked. [1913 Webster]"The very custom of evil makes the heart obdurate against whatsoever instructions to the contrary." [1913 Webster]"Art thou obdurate, flinty, hard as steel,
Nay, more than flint, for stone at rain relenteth?" [1913 Webster] - Hard; harsh; rugged; rough; intractable. Swift. [1913 Webster]" Sometimes accented on the second syllable, especially by the older poets." [1913 Webster]"There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart." [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Hard; firm; unbending; inflexible; unyielding; stubborn; obstinate; impenitent; callous; unfeeling; insensible; unsusceptible.
obdurate, v. t.
To harden. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
obdurate, adj.
1 stubborn.
2 hardened against persuasion or influence.
1 stubborn.
2 hardened against persuasion or influence.
Derivative
obduracy n. obdurately adv. obdurateness n.
Etymology
ME f. L obduratus past part. of obdurare (as OB-, durare harden f. durus hard)
THESAURUS
obdurate
adamant, asleep, benumbed, bony, brazen, callous, calloused, case-hardened, cement, cemental, cold, cold of heart, coldblooded, coldhearted, concrete, conscienceless, corneous, dead, deadened, dense, diamondlike, dogged, dour, dull, dure, firm, flinthearted, flintlike, flinty, fundamentalist, granitelike, granitic, hard, hard as nails, hard of heart, hard-bitten, hard-boiled, hard-nosed, hard-set, hardened, hardhearted, heartless, hidebound, horny, immovable, impassible, impenitent, imperceptive, impercipient, impliable, indurated, inexorable, inflexible, insensate, insensible, insensitive, insentient, insolent, inured, iron, iron-hard, ironbound, ironclad, ironhanded, ironlike, lapideous, lithoid, lithoidal, lost to shame, marble, marblelike, mulish, muscle-bound, numb, numbed, obstinate, obtuse, orthodox, osseous, procrustean, purist, puristic, puritan, puritanic, relentless, resistant, resistive, rigid, rigorist, rigoristic, rigorous, rockbound, rocklike, rocky, seared, shameless, solid, steellike, steely, stiff, stiff-necked, stonelike, stony, stonyhearted, straightlaced, straitlaced, stubborn, thick-skinned, thick-witted, tough, unabject, unbending, unblushing, uncompassionate, uncompromising, uncontrite, unemotional, unfeeling, unfelt, unmelted, unmerciful, unnatural, unperceptive, unrelenting, unrepentant, unrepenting, unresponsive, unsoftened, unsympathetic, untouched, unyieldingROGET THESAURUS
obdurate
Obstinacy
N obstinacy, obstinateness, obstinacy, tenacity, cussedness, perseverance, immovability, old school, inflexibility, obduracy, obduration, dogged resolution, resolution, ruling passion, blind side, self-will, contumacy, perversity, pervicacy, pervicacity, indocility, bigotry, intolerance, dogmatism, opiniatry, opiniativeness, fixed idea, fanaticism, zealotry, infatuation, monomania, opinionatedness opinionativeness, mule, opinionist, opinionatist, opiniator, opinator, stickler, dogmatist, bigot, zealot, enthusiast, fanatic, obstinate, tenacious, stubborn, obdurate, casehardened, inflexible, balky, immovable, unshakable, not to be moved, inert, unchangeable, inexorable, mulish, obstinate as a mule, pig-headed, dogged, sullen, sulky, unmoved, uninfluenced unaffected, willful, self-willed, perverse, resty, restive, restiff, pervicacious, wayward, refractory, unruly, heady, headstrong, entete, contumacious, crossgrained, arbitrary, dogmatic, positive, bigoted, prejudiced, creed- bound, prepossessed, infatuated, stiff-backed, stiff necked, stiff hearted, hard-mouthed, hidebound, unyielding, impervious, impracticable, inpersuasible, unpersuadable, intractable, untractable, incorrigible, deaf to advice, impervious to reason, crotchety, obstinately, non possumus, no surrender, ils n'ont rien appris ne rien oublie.Severity
N severity, strictness, harshness, rigor, stringency, austerity, inclemency, arrogance, precisianism, arbitrary power, absolutism, despotism, dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression, assumption, usurpation, inquisition, reign of terror, martial law, iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway, tight grasp, brute force, brute strength, coercion, strong hand, tight hand, hard lines, hard measure, tender mercies, sharp practice, pipe-clay, officialism, tyrant, disciplinarian, precisian, martinet, stickler, bashaw, despot, hard master, Draco, oppressor, inquisitor, extortioner, harpy, vulture, accipitres, birds of prey, raptorials, raptors, severe, strict, hard, harsh, dour, rigid, stiff, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, exacting, exigent, exigeant, inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, austere, hard-headed, hard-nosed, hard-shell, relentless, Spartan, Draconian, stringent, strait-laced, searching, unsparing, iron-handed, peremptory, absolute, positive, arbitrary, imperative, coercive, tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial, inclement, cruel, haughty, arrogant, precisian, severely, with a high hand, with a strong hand, with a tight hand, with a heavy hand, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, Delirant reges plectuntur Achivi, manu forti, ogni debole ha sempre il suo tiranno.Vice
N vice, evil-doing, evil courses, wrongdoing, wickedness, viciousness, iniquity, peccability, demerit, sin, Adam, old Adam, offending Adam, immorality, impropriety, indecorum, scandal, laxity, looseness of morals, enphagy, dophagy, exophagy, want of principle, want of ballast, obliquity, backsliding, infamy, demoralization, pravity, depravity, pollution, hardness of heart, brutality, corruption, knavery, profligacy, flagrancy, atrocity, cannibalism, lesbianism, Sadism, infirmity, weakness, weakness of the flesh, frailty, imperfection, error, weak side, foible, failing, failure, crying sin, besetting sin, defect, deficiency, cloven foot, lowest dregs of vice, sink of iniquity, Alsatian den, gusto picaresco, fault, crime, criminality, sinner, brothel, gambling house, joint, opium den, shooting gallery, crack house, vicious, sinful, sinning, wicked, iniquitous, immoral, unrighteous, wrong, criminal, naughty, incorrect, unduteous, undutiful, unprincipled, lawless, disorderly, contra bonos mores, indecorous, unseemly, improper, dissolute, profligate, scampish, unworthy, worthless, desertless, disgraceful, recreant, reprehensible, blameworthy, uncommendable, discreditable, disreputable, Sadistic, base, sinister, scurvy, foul, gross, vile, black, grave, facinorous, felonious, nefarious, shameful, scandalous, infamous, villainous, of a deep dye, heinous, flagrant, flagitious, atrocious, incarnate, accursed, Mephistophelian, satanic, diabolic, hellish, infernal, stygian, fiendlike, hell-born, demoniacal, devilish, fiendish, miscreated, misbegotten, demoralized, corrupt, depraved, evil-minded, evil-disposed, ill-conditioned, malevolent, heartless, graceless, shameless, virtueless, abandoned, lost to virtue, unconscionable, sunk in iniquity, lost in iniquity, steeped in iniquity, incorrigible, irreclaimable, obdurate, reprobate, past praying for, culpable, reprehensible, unjustifiable, indefensible, inexcusable, inexpiable, unpardonable, irremissible, weak, frail, lax, infirm, imperfect, indiscrete, demoralizing, degrading, wrong, sinfully, without excuse, Int, O tempora!, O mores!, alitur vitium vivitque tegendo, genus est mortis male vivere, mala mens malus animus, nemo repente fuit turpissimus, the trail of the serpent is over them all, to sanction vice and hunt decorum down.Impenitence
N impenitence, irrepentance, recusance, lack of contrition, hardness of heart, seared conscience, induration, obduracy, impenitent, uncontrite, obdurate, hard, hardened, seared, recusant, unrepentant, relentless, remorseless, graceless, shriftless, lost, incorrigible, irreclaimable, unreconstructed, unregenerate, unreformed, unrepented, unreclaimed, unatoned.For further exploring for "obdurate" in Webster Dictionary Online