Word meaning
recalcitrant
adjective · rih-KAL-sih-trunt
What does recalcitrant mean?
Recalcitrant means having an obstinately uncooperative attitude.
Recalcitrant in a sentence
“The recalcitrant printer refused to print anything but blank pages.”
Synonyms for recalcitrant
- uncooperative
- defiant
- unruly
Where does recalcitrant come from?
From Latin recalcitrare, "to kick back," from calx, "heel."
How to remember recalcitrant
- Say it out loud a few times: rih-KAL-sih-trunt.
- Write one sentence of your own using recalcitrant, about something that happened to you today.
- Quiz yourself tomorrow, in three days, and next week. Spaced reviews are what make new words stick.
More words worth knowing
- gratuitous — uncalled for; lacking good reason.
- mercurial — subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood.
- taciturn — reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
- solitude — the state of being alone, especially when this is peaceful.
- auspicious — suggesting a good chance of success; favorable.
- tacit — understood or implied without being stated.