obstinate
ob·sti·nate/ˈɑb.stə.nət/adjective
obstinate is spelled O-B-S-T-I-N-A-T-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (ob·sti·nate). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,267th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, obstinate means “Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in obstinate?
| Letters | 9: O-B-S-T-I-N-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: ob·sti·nate |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,267th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is obstinate?
Obstinate appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,267th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce obstinate?
- UK /ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/
- UK /ˈɒb.stɪ.nɪt/
- US /ˈɑb.stə.nət/
Obstinate has 3 syllables, split ob·sti·nate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-obstinate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of obstinate
- more obstinate comparative
- most obstinate superlative
- obstinant
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does obstinate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
- 2
Of an inanimate object, not easily subdued or removed.
an obstinate blockage in the pipe
- 3
Of a facial feature or expression, fixed and unmoving.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Obstinate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | obstiné |
| German | hartnäckig, starrköpfig, stur , widerspenstig, widerborstig |
| Portuguese | obstinado, persistente, pertinaz |
| Spanish | obstinado, obcecado, porfiado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does obstinate come from?
Inherited from Middle English obstinat(e) (“obstinate, stubborn”), from Latin obstinātus, perfect passive participle of obstinō (“set one's mind firmly upon, resolve”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob (“before”) + *stinare, from stare (“to stand”). Doublet of ostinato.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).