stubbornness

/ˈstʌbənnəs/ (bre, ipa) · [stˈʌbɚnnəs] /ˈstʌbərnnəs/ (ame, ipa) · [stˈʌbɚnnəs] /-n(n)ə̇s/ (ame, mw)

stubbornness — noun

1. a trait shown by someone who sticks firmly to their own decisions or goals and r

1.名詞B2
釋義

a trait shown by someone who sticks firmly to their own decisions or goals and refuses to be persuaded to change course.

例句

Kemi's stubbornness helped her finish the marathon despite her injured knee.

stubbornness as a positive driving force

Rachel showed remarkable stubbornness in refusing to accept the unfair settlement offer.

stubbornness in + V-ing

同義詞
  • determination

    always positive; has no negative connotation unlike stubbornness

  • persistence

    suggests continuing effort despite difficulty; more neutral

  • tenacity

    emphasises holding on firmly; usually positive

  • obstinacy

    more negative; suggests unreasonable refusal to change

反義詞

文法句型

stubbornness + to-infinitive

stubbornness in + noun/-ing

用法筆記

Frequently used with a possessive (her stubbornness, his stubbornness) or followed by in + noun/gerund (stubbornness in defending one's views). This sense can be either positive when praising persistence, or mildly negative when describing an unwillingness to compromise — context determines the tone.

常見錯誤

❌Stubbornness always describes a bad quality.
✅Her stubbornness helped her succeed against the odds.
💡In this sense, stubbornness can be a positive trait when it means determination to overcome obstacles.

2. how strongly an object, problem, stain, or condition resists every attempt to re

2.名詞B2
釋義

how strongly an object, problem, stain, or condition resists every attempt to remove it, change it, or make it go away.

例句

Manuela tried bleach on the shirt, but the stubbornness of the grass stain defeated her.

stubbornness of + concrete noun (stain)

The stubbornness of the old lock forced them to call a locksmith after an hour.

同義詞
  • resistance

    broader term; used for physical opposition or immunity

  • persistence

    can describe a problem or condition that continues

  • tenacity

    less common for objects; more about a quality that clings

  • obduracy

    formal; suggests something very hard and unyielding

反義詞

文法句型

the stubbornness of + noun

用法筆記

Almost always takes the pattern the stubbornness of + noun. Unlike sense 1, this sense cannot describe a person's character directly — it describes the quality of a thing (stain, problem, habit, condition) that refuses to go away or change. Never used with a possessive pronoun in this sense.

常見錯誤

❌His stubbornness to fix the door was admirable.' (confuses sense 2 with sense 1)
✅The stubbornness of the rust made the door impossible to open.
💡Use sense 1 for a person's determined character; use sense 2 only for difficult-to-change things.