Obdurate (adjective)
Pronunciation: ['ahb-dyu-rêt]
Definition: Stubbornly wicked (impenitent) or wickedly stubborn (intractable). (带贬义)
Usage: Shelley wrote in 'Revolt of Islam' (iv.9) "Custom maketh blind and obdurate The loftiest hearts." The adverb is "obdurately" and the noun, "obduracy." They all come from the transitive and intransitive verb obdure "to harden."
Suggested Usage: The neutral sense can be used where you might otherwise use "dyed-in-the-wool," e.g. "His father was a union leader and he has been an obdurate Labourite since childhood." Of course, Tories might think this the pejorative usage. Here is a clearer example of that first meaning, "I. D. Nye was born to politics; his father was an obdurate card sharp until his death."
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