Intractable

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

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

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  68 Moby Thesaurus words for "intractable":
     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