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

Definition of refractory

as in rebellious

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

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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

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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 These warm hundreds of tonnes of refractory bricks to temperatures up to 1,500 °C. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2025 This is, by far, the most common TES approach in industry, with most companies using legacy technologies like refractory bricks and molten salt to store heat in insulated shipping containers. — Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 This is due to a rare condition called refractory celiac disease, which requires specialized treatment. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 July 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for refractory

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refractory

Adjective

While many may remember Cooter as a gregarious good ‘ol boy, the character had a wild, rebellious side in the first season of the show.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026
In a somewhat rebellious moment, Meghan attended her first Trooping the Colour ceremony wearing an off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress.

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

Volatile job numbers, stubborn inflation and changes to the Fed’s communications style are all stirring up uncertainty in markets and raising the stakes for upcoming economic data releases — including this week’s inflation report.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
The softening job market may complicate the calculation for the Federal Reserve, which is also battling stubborn inflation.

— Scott Horsley, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

Access to healthcare in the region already had been challenged by years of rebel conflict in one of Congo’s most remote and vulnerable areas, near the borders of South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
The Houthis are one of several Iranian proxies that have threatened to widen the conflict with the rebel group striking commercial shipping and recently ramping up attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.

— Ibrahim Dahman, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 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

In 1933 Mississippi, a group of female friends forms a defiant bond.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Carlos Manuel Vesga submitted the Pluribus episode where Manousos treks up through South America while accepting no help from the hive members, a showcase of defiant pride and a good bit of physically demanding work.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of defiant

Adjective

Even those who believe diplomacy remains a viable path to peace acknowledge the future of the strait presents an intractable problem.

— Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
The broken line, the hard scar of the dash—these are gestures toward the uncertain and intractable distance between self and other, presence and absence, ‘awareness’ and its loss.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of intractable

Adjective

Security experts, however, say these events are likely to continue happening given the fundamentally uncontrollable nature of advanced AI systems.

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
As surveillance and interrogation deepen, the line between loyalty and obsession blurs, leading both men into a dangerous and uncontrollable connection.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of uncontrollable

Adjective

If your debt has already become unmanageable and full repayment isn't realistic, debt settlement may be the right option instead.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
New research from Omdia, commissioned by Apica and surveying 300 enterprise IT decision-makers, found that 59% of enterprises have already terminated or delayed an agentic AI deployment because observability costs have become unmanageable.

— Andi Mann, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of unmanageable

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refractoriness

refractory

refrain

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“Refractory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractory. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of refractory

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