stubborn
- Top 5000
Sense 1
- adjective
- B1
refusing to change your mind or your way of doing things, even when other people try hard to talk you out of it.
He is too stubborn to admit that he took the wrong turn.
Our manager is stubborn about deadlines and never moves them.
Her stubborn silence lasted the whole way to the airport.
Being stubborn helped him learn to walk again after the injury.
Common collocations: as stubborn as a mule · a stubborn streak · stubborn about something · too stubborn to admit it · a stubborn refusal
Part of: Personality, Attitudes and opinions
Sense 2 · less common
- adjective
- B2
very hard to remove, cure or deal with, even after many tries.
This stubborn stain will not come out of the tablecloth.
A stubborn cough kept him awake for three nights.
Rust is a stubborn problem on tools kept in damp sheds.
Common collocations: a stubborn stain · a stubborn cough · stubborn dirt · stubborn rust · stubborn marks
Part of: Cleaning and repairs, Shapes and sizes
Forms
- comparative
- more stubborn
- superlative
- most stubborn