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pervicacious

/ˌpərvɪˈkeɪʃəs/
IPA guide

A person who is pervicacious resists other people’s suggestions or advice, determined to do things their own way. In other words, a pervicacious person is stubborn or obstinate.

We have several more ordinary words for this character trait, including headstrong, bullheaded, pigheaded, and willful. Pervicacious is a sophisticated alternative; it's so uncommon that a stubborn person might not even realize they're being insulted if you use it to describe them. The word comes from the Latin pervicax, meaning "stubborn." The prefix per- means "thoroughly," and the root vic- comes from the Latin verb for "to conquer." A pervicacious person thoroughly conquers any opposing ideas by simply refusing to give in.

Definitions of pervicacious
  1. adjective
    stubborn, obstinate, or always insisting on your own way
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