Word of the Day, July 20: ‘Obdurate’

Word of the Day: OBDURATE
Pronunciation: UK/ˈɒb.dʒə.rət/ or US/ˈɑːb.dʊr.ɪt/

Meaning:
'Obdurate' means someone who is stubbornly unyielding, refusing to change their opinion or course of action despite persuasion or reason.

Examples for daily usage:

• The judge remained obdurate, refusing to reduce the sentence.
• Despite repeated requests, the company stayed obdurate about changing its policy.

Origin and history:

The late Middle English period (around 1450). It derives from the Latin word obdūrātus, which is the past participle of obdūrāre, meaning "to harden" or "to be hard".

It entered the English language in the 15th century. It comes from the Latin word obdurare (meaning "to harden" or "persist").

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Cultural significance and modern usage:

In classical and Renaissance literature, an "obdurate" character is a staple of tragic or epic storytelling. It frequently defines tragic heroes—like Milton's Satan or various Shakespearean figures—whose unbending will drives the narrative's central conflict.

In contemporary culture, "obdurate" is frequently utilised to describe politicians, labour leaders, or diplomats who refuse to compromise. Depending on the speaker's bias, the trait represents either negative stubbornness and callousness or a heroic, unyielding dedication to core principles.

Culturally, the term is also applied to deeply entrenched social systems or societal traditions. An "obdurate" institution or problem is one that resists progressive reforms and is difficult to alter.

Interesting facts:

• Both "obdurate" and "durable" come from the same Latin root durare, meaning "to harden" or "to endure".
• Authors such as Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and John Milton used the word 'obdurate' to describe uncompromising or morally hardened characters.

Examples from literature:

1. Finding that Egwina inclined more and more to Denewulf’s way of thinking and that Denewulf was obdurate, the good dame took matters into her own hands.- A Maid at King Alfred's Court: A Story for Girls by Lucy Foster Madison
2. Not only did the women and children that were aboard gave such shrieks as were enough to have pierced the most obdurate hearts, but the generality of the men were frightened almost out of their wits. - The Travels and Adventures of James Massey by Simon Tyssot de Patot
3. Mrs. Twining ceased to carve the obdurate beefsteak, though still retaining her hold on the horn-handled knife and fork.- An Ambitious Woman: A Novel by Edgar Fawcett
4. They are anything but a phlegmatic people, yet they are obdurate, they are pertinacious, and they finish plastering joints. -The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Synonyms:

• Stubborn
• Inflexible
• Adamant
• Unyielding
• Obstinate

Antonyms:

• Flexible
• Yielding
• Agreeable

Read more word of the day here.