Persistent vs. Stubborn

Persistent vs. Stubborn — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Persistent and Stubborn

Persistentadjective

Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.

She has had a persistent cough for weeks.

Stubbornadjective

Refusing to move or to change one's opinion; obstinate; firmly resisting; persistent in doing something.

He is pretty stubborn about his political beliefs, so why bother arguing?Blood can make a very stubborn stain on fabrics if not washed properly.

Persistentadjective

Insistently repetitive.

There was a persistent knocking on the door.

Stubbornadjective

Of materials: physically stiff and inflexible; not easily melted or worked.

Persistentadjective

Indefinitely continuous.

There have been persistent rumours for years.

Stubbornnoun

(informal) Stubbornness.

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Persistentadjective

(botany) Lasting past maturity without falling off.

Pine cones have persistent scales.

Stubbornnoun

A disease of citrus trees characterized by stunted growth and misshapen fruit, caused by Spiroplasma citri.

Persistentadjective

(computing) Of data or a data structure: not transient or temporary, but remaining in existence after the termination of the program that creates it.

Once written to a disk file, the data becomes persistent: it will still be there tomorrow when we run the next program.

Stubbornadjective

tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield

Persistentadjective

(mathematics) Describing a fractal process that has a positive Brown function

Stubbornadjective

not responding to treatment;

a stubborn infectiona refractory case of acne
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Persistentadjective

non-transient.

Stubbornadjective

difficult to treat or deal with;

stubborn rust stainsa stubborn case of acne

Persistentadjective

never-ceasing;

the relentless beat of the drums

Stubbornadjective

persisting in a reactionary stand

Persistentadjective

continually recurring to the mind;

haunting memoriesthe cathedral organ and the distant voices have a haunting beauty

Persistentadjective

retained; not shed;

persistent leaves remain attached past maturitythe persistent gills of fishes