REFRACTORY Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'refractory' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of refractory are headstrong , intractable , recalcitrant , ungovernable , unruly , and willful . While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold. // special schools for refractory children

Q: When can 'headstrong' be used instead of 'refractory'?

The words headstrong and refractory can be used in similar contexts, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion. // a headstrong young cavalry officer

Q: Where would 'intractable' be a reasonable alternative to 'refractory'?

While in some cases nearly identical to refractory , intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control. // intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

Q: When would 'recalcitrant' be a good substitute for 'refractory'?

Although the words recalcitrant and refractory have much in common, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority. // acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

Q: In what contexts can 'ungovernable' take the place of 'refractory'?

The meanings of ungovernable and refractory largely overlap; however, ungovernable implies either an escape from control or guidance or a state of being unsubdued and incapable of controlling oneself or being controlled by others. // ungovernable rage

Q: When is 'unruly' a more appropriate choice than 'refractory'?

The synonyms unruly and refractory are sometimes interchangeable, but unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior. // unruly children

Q: When could 'willful' be used to replace 'refractory'?

The words willful and refractory are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way. // a willful disregard for the rights of others

refractory

adjective

ri-ˈfrak-t(ə-)rē $How to pronounce refractory (audio)$

Definition of refractory next

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control refractory players will be ejected from the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others believing that rules are only for other people, he's been refractory virtually his entire life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective refractory differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of refractory are headstrong, intractable, recalcitrant, ungovernable, unruly, and willful. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

When can headstrong be used instead of refractory?

The words headstrong and refractory can be used in similar contexts, but headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

Where would intractable be a reasonable alternative to refractory?

While in some cases nearly identical to refractory, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

When would recalcitrant be a good substitute for refractory?

Although the words recalcitrant and refractory have much in common, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

In what contexts can ungovernable take the place of refractory?

The meanings of ungovernable and refractory largely overlap; however, ungovernable implies either an escape from control or guidance or a state of being unsubdued and incapable of controlling oneself or being controlled by others.

ungovernable rage

When is unruly a more appropriate choice than refractory?

The synonyms unruly and refractory are sometimes interchangeable, but unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

When could willful be used to replace refractory?

The words willful and refractory are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of refractory While cannabinoids offer a potential alternative for refractory chronic pain, optimal use requires personalized dosing and further high-quality trials targeting specific pain subtypes. —

Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025 It is meant to treat only people with refractory myeloma. —

Sarah Hudgens, Health, 23 Sep. 2024 Similar to refractory bricks, firebricks can store heat or insulate, depending on what they’re made from. —

New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2024 This current study extends the successful results previously published on the virus-free preparation of CD19-specific CAR T-cells against refractory B cell malignancies utilizing Applied DNA's Linea™ DNA. —

Kansas City Star, 13 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for refractory

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refractory

Adjective

This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
In 2000 at age 15, he was sent to live in Australia with a host family because his father thought Zhang was too rebellious to stay in China.

— Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

Starmer had previously vowed to stand in any formal Labour leadership race triggered by rebel lawmakers who feating a 2029 election wipeout sought to replace him.

— Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Many rebel groups are offshoots of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which had been fighting to overthrow the government since the 1960s and had been the country's largest guerrilla organization.

— John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.

— Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026

Definition of recalcitrant

Adjective

For as long as the American Dream has been around, homeownership was considered an intractable piece of the wealth-building puzzle.

— Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Two Ships is thus a narrative for our time, when the aspirational vision of oneness has given way to intractable twoness.

— James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Definition of intractable

Adjective

The jealousy that emanates from every pore of this guy is uncontrollable.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026
An uncontrollable laugh when tickled is vastly different from a polite laugh in a meeting, an infectious laugh during a movie, or a nervous little giggle after making a mistake.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 June 2026

Definition of uncontrollable

Adjective

Continue contributing enough to capture any employer match, prioritize paying off high-rate debt and explore debt relief options if your balances have become unmanageable.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Unkempt vines will continue to grow vigorously and become unmanageable.

— Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2026