Synonyms & related words for refractory

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of refractory — including recalcitrant, stubborn, fractious, intractable, renitent, indocile. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to refractory

Explore words related to refractory — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include refractoriness, recalcitrancy, untractable, recalcitrantly, recalcitrance, obdurate, ductile, relapsed. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for refractory

Common synonyms for refractory include recalcitrant, stubborn, fractious, intractable, renitent, indocile, obstinate, defiant — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does refractory come from?

The word refractory breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: re-, from Latin re (“back”); and -fract, from Latin frango (“break”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.