Adjacent Words

Intractable definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INTRACT'ABLE, a. [L. intractabilis; in and tractabilis, tracto, to handle, manage, govern.]
1. Not to be governed or managed; violent; stubborn; obstinate; refractory; as an intractable temper.
2. Not to be taught; indocile.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not tractable; difficult to manage or mold; "an intractable disposition"; "intractable pain"; "the most intractable issue of our era"; "intractable metal" [ant: manipulable, tractable]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Latin intractabilis, from in- + tractabilis tractable Date: 1531 1. not easily governed, managed, or directed <intractable problems> 2. not easily manipulated or wrought <intractable metal> 3. not easily relieved or cured <intractable pain> Synonyms: see unruly • intractability noun • intractably adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 hard to control or deal with. 2 difficult, stubborn. Derivatives: intractability n. intractableness n. intractably adv. Etymology: L intractabilis (as IN-(1), TRACTABLE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Intractable In*tract"a*ble, a. [L. intractabilis: cf. F. intraitable, formerly also intractable. See In- not, and Tractable.] Not tractable; not easily governed, managed, or directed; indisposed to be taught, disciplined, or tamed; violent; stubborn; obstinate; refractory; as, an intractable child. Syn: Stubborn; perverse; obstinate; refractory; cross; unmanageable; unruly; headstrong; violent; ungovernable; unteachable. -- In*tract"a*ble*ness, n. -- In*tract"a*bly, adv.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Intractable people are very difficult to control or influence. (FORMAL) What may be done to reduce the influence of intractable opponents? ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. Intractable problems or situations are very difficult to deal with. (FORMAL) The economy still faces intractable problems. ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Stubborn, obstinate, perverse, refractory, dogged, headstrong, unmanageable, ungovernable, indocile, obdurate, cross-grained, wilful, inflexible, unyielding, contumacious, cantankerous, froward, unruly, pig-headed, mulish.

Moby Thesaurus

adamant, adamantine, beyond control, breachy, bullheaded, contumacious, defiant, fractious, headstrong, immovable, immutable, incorrigible, indocile, indomitable, inductile, inelastic, inextensible, inextensile, inextensional, inflexible, insubordinate, insuppressible, intractile, intransigent, irrepressible, irresilient, mulish, noncooperating, noncooperative, nonelastic, nonstretchable, obstreperous, out of hand, pertinacious, perverse, recalcitrant, refractory, resistant, resisting, restive, self-willed, shrewish, stubborn, tough, unalterable, unbending, unbiddable, uncompliant, uncontrollable, uncooperative, undisciplined, unextendible, unextensible, unflexible, ungiving, ungovernable, unlimber, unmalleable, unmanageable, unmoldable, unpliable, unpliant, unruly, unsubmissive, untractable, unyielding, wild, willful