What's the difference between obdurate and recalcitrant?

Obdurate


Definition:

  • (a.) Hardened in feelings, esp. against moral or mollifying influences; unyielding; hard-hearted; stubbornly wicked.
  • (a.) Hard; harsh; rugged; rough; intractable.
  • (v. t.) To harden.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The system is not an obdurate one-man rule, but a balancing of power groups, including the military, government and internal security, all have different interests and policies.
  • (2) Both the Coalition and Labor are obdurately stuck with barbaric offshore detention policies, as though sensible, humane and politically viable alternatives are beyond them.
  • (3) For their part, the Israeli left accused Peres of acting as a figleaf for an obdurate Likud administration.
  • (4) Report on the temporary substitution of pharynx and upper oesophagus with synthetic skin substitute in case of incurable obdurating neck carcinoma.
  • (5) His team-mates were obdurate opponents in every respect.
  • (6) The fact that it was Johnson rather than Crow who had been obdurate was highlighted by the fact that TfL had all along planned to retain ticket-selling facilities at several busy stations, but, prompted by Johnson, had publicly suggested that they would all be closed.
  • (7) For the first time there were obvious signs of tension and, suddenly, this tough, obdurate West Bromwich side showed an attacking intent that simply had not been there earlier in the match.
  • (8) In the face of obdurate unreason, the president of hyper-reasonableness was forced to surrender.
  • (9) Underpinning the witty remarks and the textbook flippancy ("call me early, Goering dear, for I'm to be Queen of the May" was apparently Nancy's riposte to news of Diana and Unity's German adventures) though, was an absolute and obdurate self-belief; a self-possessed seriousness only partly disguised by sisterly teasing.
  • (10) Max from Earlsfield muses: "Admittedly terrible from Fab, a shame after 47 minutes of obdurate defence.
  • (11) This was a slog, a result ground out against ruggedly obdurate opposition , but Chelsea may end up gaining more satisfaction from prevailing in those awkward circumstances than from some of the more comfortable strolls they have enjoyed over a nine-match winning streak.
  • (12) Read more It was the third minute of stoppage time, and the cruellest of circumstances for this tough, obdurate Burnley side, when Arsenal’s possession finally paid off and the seemingly endless 20th-anniversary commemorations for Arsène Wenger were given a shot of euphoria that had not seemed like coming.
  • (13) Ireland were obdurate opponents but that does not fully explain the lack of quality that held back England once Frank Lampard had scored the 29th goal of his international career, 10 minutes after Shane Long's expertly taken header had given Giovanni Trapattoni's side an early lead.
  • (14) Russia's determination to defend wider spheres of traditional influence in the non-aligned and developing world can be seen in its obdurate refusal to penalise Syria, in the face of almost universal outrage over the crackdown there; and in its de facto defence of Iran's nuclear programme.
  • (15) It had needed some obdurate defending to keep the score down before Alves exchanged passes with the substitute Neymar and cut in from the right to slip his shot through Hart's legs.
  • (16) Republicans have been both obdurate and obtuse in Congress, where approval ratings have rarely scraped 20%.
  • (17) He is assertive (he insists on his photographer and dictates the terms of the interview), obdurate and, at times, wilfully contrary.
  • (18) We had an obdurate Labor party, a feckless Senate and a very difficult media culture,” Abbott said.
  • (19) In the years since those facts first became known, the story of the Holocaust has been told and retold, yet it still remains obdurately difficult to tell.
  • (20) Giles also remained obdurate and continued to refuse to resign even though he had only four supporters as against the conspirators’ nine.

Recalcitrant


Definition:

  • (a.) Kicking back; recalcitrating; hence, showing repugnance or opposition; refractory.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Based on the principles of adaptational mutations and genetic exchange of catabolic activities, it becomes possible to select and engineer microorganisms that are suitable for the degradation of recalcitrant compounds.
  • (2) A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study assessed the clinical efficacy and safety of pulsed electromagnetic limb ulcer therapy (PELUT) in the healing of recalcitrant, predominantly venous leg ulcers.
  • (3) We present a patient whose genital warts were recalcitrant to treatment.
  • (4) Isotretinoin (Accutane Capsules) is a synthetic vitamin A compound used for treatment of recalcitrant cystic acne.
  • (5) Such gene cassettes or operons can be transferred into suitable microbial hosts for extending and custom designing the pathways for rapid degradation of recalcitrant compounds.
  • (6) Of the 30 patients with warts, most of which were recalcitrant, 14 were cured and the remaining 16 showed marked improvement.
  • (7) This procedure is a simple and effective method for safe office treatment of patients with recalcitrant recurrent erosion.
  • (8) The thermal cycle sequencing procedures are advantageous because they allow fast and simple semiautomation of the sequencing reaction; make possible the direct DNA sequencing of PCR products, bacterial colonies and phage plaques; require only femtomoles of template DNA; eliminate the requirement of an independent primer annealing step; remove the requirement of denatured plasmids for sequencing double-stranded templates; and use a highly thermostable DNA polymerase for sequencing through potential recalcitrant secondary structure domains and large linear double-stranded DNA templates such as lambda derivatives.
  • (9) To study the human teratogenicity of this agent, we investigated 154 human pregnancies with fetal exposure to isotretinoin, a retinoid prescribed for severe recalcitrant cystic acne.
  • (10) The biosynthesis of prostaglandins (PG) in biopsies from 9 patients with recalcitrant psoriasis was studied before, during, and after treatment with 8-methoxy-psoralen and long-wave ultraviolet light (UVA).
  • (11) The Dec+ mutants had also acquired the capacity to metabolize other recalcitrant branched hydrocarbons such as 3,6-dimethyloctane and 2,6-dimethyldecane.
  • (12) Levamisole should be tried in recalcitrant chronic candidoses and bacterial infections not responding to specific antibiotic treatment.
  • (13) Thus, combination therapy is recommended for treatment of recalcitrant cases of bacterial endocarditis caused by N. mucosa.
  • (14) If the holding phase is sufficiently prolonged, a reduction in the number and complexity of operative procedures needed for recurrent and recalcitrant cases can be expected.
  • (15) Treatment of associated systemic disorders may improve the ulcers, but lesions may be recalcitrant and persist for months to years.
  • (16) Cyclosporine, an immunosuppressive drug, is effective in the treatment of recalcitrant psoriasis.
  • (17) In recalcitrant cases, however, entrapment of the first branch lateral plantar nerve should be suspected.
  • (18) These autonomous movements were otherwise recalcitrant to therapy and were felt to arise from neural generators intrinsic to the spinal cord.
  • (19) The effectiveness and tolerance of isotretinoin have been assessed in 72 cases (34 male and 38 female) suffering from papulo-pustular acne with nodulo-cystic component recalcitrant to traditional treatments.
  • (20) The government’s strategy is clearly based on a deep confidence that it has time, that it won’t be forced back to the polls by a recalcitrant Senate, that it will have years to reach a rapprochement with the angry states and that it will bring down two more budgets before it has to face the voters.