Etymology

obdurate

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Today it means: Stubbornly persistent, generally in wrongdoing; refusing to reform or repent. Full definition →

First used c. 1540-1860Middle English obdurat(e) ← Latin obdūrātus
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obdurate · adjective1

  1. Latin · derived fromobdūrātus“hardened”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromobdurat(e)
  3. English todayobdurate

First attested in the 1450s, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English obdurat(e), borrowed from Latin obdūrātus (“hardened”), perfect passive participle of obdūrō (“to harden”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob- (“against”) + dūrō (“to harden, render hard”), from dūrus (“hard”). Compare durable, endure.

obdurate · verb2

  1. Latin · borrowed fromobdūrātus
  2. English todayobdurate

Borrowed from Latin obdūrātus, see Etymology 1 and -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more

First known use, by meaning

  • c. 1540-1860 To harden; to obdure.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.