Refractory
Contents
English
Adjective
Refractory (comparative more Refractory, superlative most Refractory)
- Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
- 1836, Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, Chapter 26,
- Mr. Weller knocked at the door, and after a pretty long interval—occupied by the party without, in whistling a tune, and by the party within, in persuading a refractory flat candle to allow itself to be lighted […]
- Not affected by great heat.
- (medicine) Difficult to treat.
- 1949, Albert Fields and John Hoesley, "Neck and Shoulder Pain", Calif. Med., 70(6):478–482.,
- Many of the vague and refractory cases of neck and shoulder pain and of migraine may be due to cervical disc disease.
- 1990, H. A. Ring et al, "Vigabatrin: rational treatment for chronic epilepsy", J. Neurol. Neurosurg.Psychiatry, 53(12):1051–1055,
- In 33 adult patients with long standing refractory epilepsy on treatment with one or two standard anti-convulsant drugs,
- 1949, Albert Fields and John Hoesley, "Neck and Shoulder Pain", Calif. Med., 70(6):478–482.,
- (biology) Incapable of registering a reaction or stimulus.
- 1959, Nobusada Ishiko and Werner R. Loewenstein, "Electrical output of a receptor membrane", Science, 1959, 130:1405-6,
- The production of a generator potential leaves a refractory state in the receptor membrane […]
- 1970, S.S. Barold et al, "Chest wall stimulation in evaluation of patients with implanted ventricular-inhibited demand pacemakers", Br. Heart J., 32(6):783–789,
- The […] delivery of external stimuli […] delineates the pacemaker refractory period after the emission of a pacing stimulus and after the sensing of a spontaneous beat.
- 1959, Nobusada Ishiko and Werner R. Loewenstein, "Electrical output of a receptor membrane", Science, 1959, 130:1405-6,
Synonyms
Noun
Refractory (plural refractories)- A material or piece of material, such as a brick, that has a very high melting point.
Adverbs for Refractory
hopelessly; uncommonly; highly; remarkably; incredibly; incomparably; unmanageably; stubbornly; doggedly; mulishly; obstinately; obdurately; contumaciously; naturally; incorrigibly; desperately; uncontrollably; stiffly; perversely; disobediently; impertinently; mischievously; vexatiously; intolerably; inscrutably; inexplicably; unreasonably; embarrassingly; atrociously.
Thesaurus
adversary, adversative, adverse, alien, antagonistic, anti, antipathetic, antithetic, at odds, averse, beyond control, breachy, bullheaded, china, clashing, clay, competitive, complaining, con, conflicting, contradictory, contrary, contumacious, counter, cross, cursory, defiant, deviant, differing, disaccordant, disagreeing, disinclined, disobedient, disputatious, disputing, dissentient, dissenting, dissident, enamel, enemy, forced, fractious, headstrong, hostile, impatient of control, incorrigible, indisposed, indocile, indomitable, inimical, insuppressible, intractable, involuntary, irrepressible, mulish, mutinous, negative, nonconformable, nonconforming, noncooperative, nonobservant, objecting, obstinate, obstreperous, obstructive, on the barricades, opponent, opposed, opposing, opposite, oppositional, oppositive, oppugnant, ornery, out of hand, overthwart, perfunctory, perverse, porcelain, proof against, protesting, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, reluctant, renitent, repellent, repugnant, resistant, resisting, resistive, restive, retardant, retardative, rival, self-willed, shrewish, stiff-necked, stubborn, sulky, sullen, unadaptable, unadjustable, unbiddable, uncompliant, unconforming, unconsenting, uncontrollable, uncooperative, unfavorable, unfriendly, ungovernable, unmalleable, unmanageable, unmoldable, unpropitious, unruly, unsubmissive, unwilling, unyielding, up in arms, wild, withstanding
Etymology
From Latin refractārius (“obstinate”), from refractus, past participle of refringere (“to break up”). Originally refractary reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory
Pronunciation
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Adjective
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Derived terms
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