as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
the kind of pigheaded person who seems to believe that facts only confuse an issue
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Recent Examples of pigheaded
Easy to roll your eyes at from the opening scene and increasingly pigheaded in all of the ones that follow, Man-su starts off a long way from likable and tumbles much lower in our estimation from there.
—
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2025
There isn’t much that can be done if someone is pigheaded and insistent on ruining Thanksgiving for everyone involved.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Countless efforts to defuse the crisis showed initial promise and then collapsed—Emperor Honorius, based in Ravenna, proved pigheaded and duplicitous.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 9 June 2020
Just five years after the Spurs prompted widespread headlines (and much pigheaded skepticism) by hiring ex-WNBA star Becky Hammon as the first female assistant coach in NBA history, coverage of Toronto's move was relatively muted.
—Dan Greene, SI.com, 24 Sep. 2019
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2025
There isn’t much that can be done if someone is pigheaded and insistent on ruining Thanksgiving for everyone involved.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Countless efforts to defuse the crisis showed initial promise and then collapsed—Emperor Honorius, based in Ravenna, proved pigheaded and duplicitous.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 9 June 2020
Just five years after the Spurs prompted widespread headlines (and much pigheaded skepticism) by hiring ex-WNBA star Becky Hammon as the first female assistant coach in NBA history, coverage of Toronto's move was relatively muted.
—Dan Greene, SI.com, 24 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigheaded
Adjective
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If that doesn’t solve the problem, try scrubbing stubborn spots with Bar Keeper’s Friend and a nonabrasive sponge.—
Jessica Elliott,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Rusk recommends using wash and styling products that don’t contain silicones (like dimethicone), which can cause a stubborn coating to accumulate that clogs follicles on the scalp and prevents the hair from absorbing moisturizing ingredients.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Norma Padgett Upshaw, who remained adamant that the four men were the ones involved in her assault, died in 2024.—
News Service Of Florida,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Suleyman’s vision for Microsoft Suleyman is adamant about the technology’s potential.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigheaded. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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