Basic Details
Word: Stubborn
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Refusing to change your mind or do what others want, even when you probably should. A stubborn stain or cough is one that will not go away.
Synonyms: obstinate, headstrong, wilful
Antonyms: flexible, obedient, willing
How to Spell Stubborn
Syllables: stub - born
Tricky part: There is a double b in the middle and the ending is born, not bern or bon.
Watch out for: stuborn, stubbern, stubbon
Memory tip: A stubborn person seems to have been born that way: stub + born, with one b closing stub and another opening born.
Idioms and Phrases
- as stubborn as a mule: extremely unwilling to change your mind Example: "My little brother is as stubborn as a mule when it comes to eating vegetables."
Usage Examples
Example 1: The stubborn goat would not move off the railway platform.
Example 2: Haldi and lemon finally removed the stubborn stain on my shirt.
Example 3: She can be stubborn, but she is usually right in the end.
Fun Fact
Dictionaries describe the origin of stubborn as unknown, although the word was already in use in English in the 1300s.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word stubborn as it is used in the sentence:
The stubborn shopkeeper would not lower the price even by a single rupee.
a) flexible
b) headstrong
c) wilful
d) obstinate
Show answer
a) flexible. Obstinate, headstrong and wilful are close in meaning to stubborn; flexible means ready to change.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
st_bb_rn
a) u, e
b) o, o
c) u, o
d) a, o
Show answer
c) u, o. The word begins with stub and ends with born.
Spell-o-Spell
Read the four words. Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. agressive 2. stubborn 3. persistant 4. arrogent
a) continuing firmly in spite of difficulty
b) refusing to change your mind
c) behaving as if you are better than others
d) angry and ready to attack
Show answer
b) refusing to change your mind. Persistent ends in ent, aggressive doubles its g and arrogant ends in ant.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A stubborn cold is one that ____.
a) will not go away
b) goes in a day
c) spreads quickly
d) is very mild
Show answer
a) will not go away
2. Which animal appears in the saying about being very stubborn?
a) a fish
b) a cat
c) a parrot
d) a mule
Show answer
d) a mule
