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Webster 1913 Edition

Obdurate

Ob′du-rate

,
Adj.
[L.
obduratus
, p. p. of
obdurare
to harden;
ob
(see Ob-)+
durare
to harden,
durus
hard. See
Dure
.]
1.
Hardened in feelings, esp. against moral or mollifying influences; unyielding; hard-hearted; stubbornly wicked.
The very custom of evil makes the heart
obdurate
against whatsoever instructions to the contrary.
Hooker.
Art thou
obdurate
, flinty, hard as steel,
Nay, more than flint, for stone at rain relenteth?
Shakespeare
2.
Hard; harsh; rugged; rough; intractable.
“Obdurate consonants.”
Swift.
☞ Sometimes accented on the second syllable, especially by the older poets.
There is no flesh in man’s
obdurate
heart.
Cowper.
Syn. – Hard; firm; unbending; inflexible; unyielding; stubborn; obstinate; impenitent; callous; unfeeling; insensible; unsusceptible.
–
Obdurate
,
Callous
,
Hardened
. Callous denotes a deadening of the sensibilities; as, a callous conscience. Hardened implies a general and settled disregard for the claims of interest, duty, and sympathy; as, hardened in vice. Obdurate implies an active resistance of the heart and will aganst the pleadings of compassion and humanity.
–
Ob′du-rate-ly
(#)
,
adv.
–
Ob′du-rate-ness
,
Noun.

Ob′du-rate

,
Verb.
T.
To harden.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Obdurate

OB'DURATE

,
Adj.
[L. obduro, to harden; ob and duro.]
1.
Hardened in heart; inflexibly hard; persisting obstinately in sin or impenitence.
2.
Hardened against good or favor; stubborn; unyielding; inflexible.
The custom of evil makes the heart obdurate against whatsoever instructions to the contrary.
3.
Harsh; rugged; as an obdurate consonant. [Little used.]

OB'DURATE

,
Verb.
T.
To harden. [Not used.]

Definition 2024

obdurate

obdurate

English

Adjective

obdurate ‎(comparative more obdurate, superlative most obdurate)

  1. Stubbornly persistent, generally in wrongdoing; refusing to reform or repent.
    • Hooker
      The very custom of evil makes the heart obdurate against whatsoever instructions to the contrary.
    • Shakespeare
      Art thou obdurate, flinty, hard as steel, / Nay, more than flint, for stone at rain relenteth?
    • 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley,"The Revolt of Islam", canto 4, stanza 9, lines 1486-7:
      But custom maketh blind and obdurate
      The loftiest hearts.
    • 2011 February 12, Les Roopanarine, “Birmingham 1 - 0 Stoke”, in BBC:
      An injury-time goal from Nikola Zigic against an obdurate Stoke side gave Birmingham back-to back Premier League wins for the first time in 14 months.
  2. (obsolete) Physically hardened, toughened.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

obdurate ‎(third-person singular simple present obdurates, present participle obdurating, simple past and past participle obdurated)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To harden; to obdure.

References

  1. ↑ “obdurate” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

Latin

Verb

obdurāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of obdurō

Etymology

Mid 15th century, from Latin obduratus ‎(“hardened”), form of obdūrō ‎(“harden”), from ob- ‎(“against”) + dūrō ‎(“harden, render hard”), from durus ‎(“hard”).[1] Compare durable, endure.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɒbdjʊrət/, /ˈɒbdjʊrɪt/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɑːbdjʊrɪt/, /ˈɑːbdʊrɪt/
  • Sometimes accented on the second syllable, especially by the older poets.

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