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What is the difference between obdurate and tenacious?

obdurate | tenacious |

As adjectives the difference between obdurate and tenacious

is that obdurate is stubbornly persistent, generally in wrongdoing; refusing to reform or repent while tenacious is clinging to an object or surface; adhesive.

obdurate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Stubbornly persistent, generally in wrongdoing; refusing to reform or repent.
  • * Hooker
  • The very custom of evil makes the heart obdurate against whatsoever instructions to the contrary.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Art thou obdurate , flinty, hard as steel, / Nay, more than flint, for stone at rain relenteth?
  • * 1818 , ,"The Revolt of Islam", canto 4, stanza 9, lines 1486-7:
  • But custom maketh blind and obdurate
    The loftiest hearts.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=February 12 , author=Les Roopanarine , title=Birmingham 1 - 0 Stoke , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=An injury-time goal from Nikola Zigic against an obdurate Stoke side gave Birmingham back-to back Premier League wins for the first time in 14 months.}}
  • (obsolete) Physically hardened, toughened.
  • Synonyms

    * (stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing): hardened, hard-hearted, impertinent, intractable, unrepentant, unyielding, recalcitrant

    Derived terms

    * obduracy

    References

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    tenacious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • clinging to an object or surface; adhesive
  • unwilling to yield or give up; dogged
  • holding together; cohesive
  • having a good memory; retentive
  • Synonyms

    * See also