Persistent vs. Stubborn: What's the Difference?
Persistent and Stubborn Definitions
Persistent
Refusing to give up or let go; persevering obstinately.
Stubborn
Refusing to change one's mind or course of action despite pressure to do so; unyielding or resolute.
Persistent
Insistently repetitive or continuous
A persistent honking of car horns.
Stubborn
Characterized by a refusal to change one's mind or course of action; dogged or persistent
Stubborn prejudice.
Stubborn earnestness.
Persistent
Existing or remaining in the same state for an indefinitely long time; enduring
Persistent rumors.
A persistent infection.
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Stubborn
Difficult to treat or deal with; resistant to treatment or effort
Stubborn soil.
Stubborn stains.
Persistent
(Botany) Lasting past maturity without falling off, as the calyx on an eggplant or the scales of a pine cone.
Stubborn
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.
Persistent
(Zoology) Retained permanently, rather than disappearing in an early stage of development
The persistent gills of fishes.
Stubborn
Of materials: physically stiff and inflexible; not easily melted or worked.
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Persistent
Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.
She has had a persistent cough for weeks.
Stubborn
(informal) Stubbornness.
Persistent
Insistently repetitive.
There was a persistent knocking on the door.
Stubborn
A disease of citrus trees characterized by stunted growth and misshapen fruit, caused by Spiroplasma citri.
Persistent
Indefinitely continuous.
There have been persistent rumours for years.
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Stubborn
Firm as a stub or stump; stiff; unbending; unyielding; persistent; hence, unreasonably obstinate in will or opinion; not yielding to reason or persuasion; refractory; harsh; - said of persons and things; as, stubborn wills; stubborn ore; a stubborn oak; as stubborn as a mule.
And I was young and full of ragerie [wantonness]Stubborn and strong, and jolly as a pie.
These heretics be so stiff and stubborn.
Your stubborn usage of the pope.
Persistent
(botany) Lasting past maturity without falling off.
Pine cones have persistent scales.
Stubborn
Tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
Persistent
(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.
Stubborn
Not responding to treatment;
A stubborn infection
A refractory case of acne
Persistent
(mathematics) Describing a fractal process that has a positive Brown function
Stubborn
Difficult to treat or deal with;
Stubborn rust stains
A stubborn case of acne
Persistent
Non-transient.
Stubborn
Persisting in a reactionary stand
Persistent
Inclined to persist; having staying qualities; tenacious of position or purpose.
Persistent
Remaining beyond the period when parts of the same kind sometimes fall off or are absorbed; permanent; as, persistent teeth or gills; a persistent calyx; - opposed to deciduous, and caducous.
Persistent
Never-ceasing;
The relentless beat of the drums
Persistent
Continually recurring to the mind;
Haunting memories
The cathedral organ and the distant voices have a haunting beauty
Persistent
Retained; not shed;
Persistent leaves remain attached past maturity
The persistent gills of fishes
