refractory
/ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/adjective, noun
refractory is spelled R-E-F-R-A-C-T-O-R-Y: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,636th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, refractory means “Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in refractory?
| Letters | 10: R-E-F-R-A-C-T-O-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 33,636th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is refractory?
Refractory appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,636th 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 refractory?
- UK /ɹɪˈfɹæk.tə.ɹi/
- US /ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/
- Australia /ɹɪˈfɹæk.tə.ɹi/
Refractory has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-refractory.ogg, En-au-refractory.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with refractory?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as refractory from its last stressed vowel (/æktəɹi/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of refractory
- more refractory comparative
- most refractory superlative
- refractories plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does refractory mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
- 2
Not affected by great heat.
- 3
Resistant to treatment; not responding adequately to therapy.
- 4
Incapable of registering a reaction or stimulus.
noun
- 1
A material or piece of material, such as a brick, that has a very high melting point.
- 2
A plant or factory that produces such material.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Refractory in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense obstinate; strongly opposed:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | réfractaire |
| German | widerborstig, widerspenstig, störrisch, halsstarrig, renitent, widersätzlich |
| Portuguese | refratário |
| Spanish | refractario |
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 refractory come from?
From Latin refractārius (“obstinate”), from refrāctus, past participle of refringere (“to break up”). Originally refractary, refractarie, but reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).