intractable
adjective
in·trac·ta·ble
(ˌ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl 
1
: not easily governed, managed, or directed
intractable problems
2
: not easily relieved or cured
intractable pain
3
: not easily manipulated or shaped
intractable metal
Synonyms
Examples of intractable in a Sentence
Contrary to the idea of black holes sucking everything, even light, into inconceivable nothingness, Hawking proposed that there was one thing that could escape a black hole's intractable grip: thermal radiation …
—
Bruno Maddox, Discover, September 2006
Sepsis, which is what happens to the body when an infection goes bad, is one of mankind's oldest and most intractable foes.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 24 July 2000
But now anesthesiologists have begun turning to an herb to help treat a deadly and often intractable lung condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people a year.
—Eric Nagourney, New York Times, 26 Oct. 1999
a patient experiencing intractable pain
an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told
Bruno Maddox, Discover, September 2006
Sepsis, which is what happens to the body when an infection goes bad, is one of mankind's oldest and most intractable foes.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 24 July 2000
But now anesthesiologists have begun turning to an herb to help treat a deadly and often intractable lung condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people a year.
—Eric Nagourney, New York Times, 26 Oct. 1999
a patient experiencing intractable pain
an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told
Recent Examples on the Web
The net result is that predicting the spins of a molecule like a catalyst quickly becomes computationally intractable.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2025
The remarks by Trump’s nominee for secretary of state — made during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — are the first high-level signal of Trump’s burgeoning policy toward one of the most pressing and intractable crises in the Western Hemisphere.
—Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
His words speak to an anxious, ongoing need not just to entertain, but to distract, to overact, to keep the audience unmoored, all in an effort to hide deep and intractable feelings of inadequacy.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Read: Why Syria matters to the Kremlin The frozen conflicts in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula are both high-profile and particularly intractable.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intractable 
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John Timmer, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2025
The remarks by Trump’s nominee for secretary of state — made during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — are the first high-level signal of Trump’s burgeoning policy toward one of the most pressing and intractable crises in the Western Hemisphere.
—Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
His words speak to an anxious, ongoing need not just to entertain, but to distract, to overact, to keep the audience unmoored, all in an effort to hide deep and intractable feelings of inadequacy.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Read: Why Syria matters to the Kremlin The frozen conflicts in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula are both high-profile and particularly intractable.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intractable
Dictionary Entries Near intractable
Cite this Entry
“Intractable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intractable. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intractable
adjective
in·trac·ta·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl
1
: not easily managed or controlled
an intractable child
2
: not easily relieved or cured
intractable pain
Medical Definition
intractable
adjective
in·trac·ta·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl
1
: not easily managed or controlled (as by antibiotics or psychotherapy)
an intractable child
activity against many intractable Proteus and Pseudomonas species of bacteria—Annual Report Pfizer
Annual Report Pfizer2
: not easily relieved or cured
intractable pain
intractable bleeding in duodenal ulcer—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationLove words? Need even more definitions?
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