Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of recalcitrant

9 similar words · 6 opposite words

Another word for recalcitrant is intransigent. Other synonyms of recalcitrant are rebellious and disobedient. The opposite of recalcitrant is obedient.

Synonyms and similar words for recalcitrant

adjectiveMarked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority.

adjectiveDifficult to deal with or to operate.

  • stubborn
  • unrulyWild; uncontrolled.
  • adversarial
  • obstreperousStubbornly defiant; disobedient; resistant to authority or control (whether in a noisy manner or not).
  • intransigentUnwilling to compromise or moderate a position; unreasonable; stubborn.

Opposite of recalcitrant

adjectiveAntonym(s) of “stubbornly unwilling to obey authority”.

  • compliant
  • obedientWilling to comply with the commands, orders, or instructions of those in authority; biddable.

adjectiveAntonym(s) of “difficult to operate or deal with”.

adjectiveAntonym(s) of “not viable for long period”.

  • orthodoxOf pollen, seed, or spores: viable for a long time; viable when dried to low moisture content.

Meaning of recalcitrant

  1. adjective Marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority.
  2. adjective Unwilling to cooperate socially.
  3. adjective Difficult to deal with or to operate.

Full definition of recalcitrant

recalcitrant in other languages

Questions about synonyms of recalcitrant

What is another word for recalcitrant?
Recalcitrant has 9 synonyms on Word.ws, such as intransigent, rebellious and disobedient.
What is the opposite of recalcitrant?
The opposite of recalcitrant is obedient.
What does recalcitrant mean?
Recalcitrant means marked by a stubborn unwillingness to obey authority.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: recalcitrant (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of recalcitrant.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/recalcitrant. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.