Obstinacy is the stubborn, unyielding persistence in a belief or course of action, even in the face of reason or persuasion. It describes a fixed resolve that resists compromise, often to the point of obstinance. The term carries a slightly negative nuance, highlighting stubborn firmness rather than firm resolve.
"Her obstinacy made it hard for the team to reach a compromise."
"Despite the evidence, his obstinacy kept him defending the flawed plan."
"The child’s obstinacy faded once they found a solution that satisfied them."
"We respected his obstinacy, but we insisted on keeping to the deadlines."
Obstinacy comes from Middle English obstinacy, from Old French obstinacité, from Latin obstinatus, past participle of obstinare “to obstinate, to persist, to stiffen.” The root is ob- “toward, against” + sta- “to stand, to stay,” tied to Latin stare “to stand.” The form acquired a pejorative sense in English over time, reflecting a state of “standing firm” in one’s harsh stance. By the 15th–16th centuries, obstinacy referred specifically to stubborn resistance to persuasive argument, rather than mere perseverance. The word has a formal, slightly old-fashioned tone today, often implying unreasonable refusal to change one’s mind. In modern usage, it frequently pairs with adjectives like obstinate or obstinacy as a personality trait or behavior descriptor, rather than a neutral determination. First known use in English appears in the late medieval/early modern period as a cognate of similar Latin-derived terms present in scholarly and legal language of the time. In contemporary English, the word remains common in both academic writing and everyday discourse, though it retains its negative connotation most often in evaluative descriptions of character.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Obstinacy" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Obstinacy" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Obstinacy" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Obstinacy"
-ity sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce as ob-STI-na-cy with the main stress on the second syllable. IPA US: ɑbˈstɪnəsi; UK: ɒbˈstɪnəsi; Australia follows the UK pattern: ɒbˈstɪnəsi. Start with a clear /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ depending on accent, then /b/ blending into /ˈstɪnə-/ and end with /si/ as in see.
People often misplace the stress or mispronounce the second syllable as /ˈɒbstɪnəsi/ with incorrect vowel quality. A frequent error is saying /ɑːbˈstɪnəsi/ with a long first vowel. Correct it by keeping a short, crisp /ɪ/ in /ˈstɪnə-/ and ensuring the middle syllable is clearly stressed. Also be careful with the ending /əsi/; don’t reduce it to /əzi/.
US tends to a clearer /ɑbˈstɪnəsi/ with rhotic influence less prominent in the final syllables; UK often uses /ɒbˈstɪnəsi/ with a shorter /ɒ/ and tighter /ˈstɪnə/; AU follows UK-like vowel quality but may soften the /ɪ/ to a more centralized vowel in rapid speech. Overall, the stress pattern remains on the second syllable, but vowel timbre and rhythm shift slightly with accent.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure with a mid word 'sti-' cluster and the unstressed final syllable /-ə-si/ that can degrade to /-əsi/ in quick speech. Mastery requires crisp /stɪ/ articulation, maintaining secondary stress on the middle vowel cluster, and not reducing the ending too much. Practice isolating /ˈstɪnə/ before adding the final /si/.
Obstinacy features a rare combination of a consonant cluster /bst/ immediately after a vowel, which can tempt speakers to drop the /b/ or merge /bst/ into /bs/ in casual speech. It also includes the unstressed final syllable /-əsi/ that often reduces to /-əsi/. Focus on keeping the /b/ audible in /ˈbstɪ-/ and finishing with a clean /si/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Obstinacy"!
No related words found
