English vocabulary · C1
Refractory
/rɪˈfræk.tər.i/ · adj.
It means something that does not respond to treatment or control. It keeps going no matter what you do.
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Example sentences
- The patient's fever was refractory, lasting days despite all treatment.
- His refractory pain stopped him from sleeping.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- re — back (from Latin)
- fract — break (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- STUBBORN (refusing to change or cooperate)
- RESISTANT (actively fighting against change)
- UNCONTROLLABLE (impossible to manage or direct)
Words with the same root
frangere — to break
- fracture — a break or crack in something — the result of breaking
- fraction — a part broken off from a whole
- fragment — a broken piece — a small part separated from the whole
Lesson notes
Refractory. It means something that does not respond to treatment or control. It keeps going no matter what you do.
Similar words are stubborn, resistant, and uncontrollable. Use refractory when something does not respond to any treatment or fix.
The patient's fever was refractory, lasting days despite all treatment. His refractory pain stopped him from sleeping.
From Latin. Re means back. Fract means break. Something that breaks back against every attempt to fix it. That is refractory.