Pertinacious: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Pertinacious adjective. Holding firmly to a purpose or opinion, sometimes to the point of stubbornness.
How to say it
PUR-tih-NAY-shus/ˌpɜːtɪˈneɪʃəs/
4 syllables, with stress on PUR and NAY.
Pertinacious in a sentence
A pertinacious researcher, she wrote to the archive every week until they let her in.
The pertinacious fly survived three swats and a rolled-up newspaper.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- persistent
- tenacious
- dogged
- stubborn
Opposite:
- irresolute
Where pertinacious comes from
From Latin pertinax, very tenacious, from per-, thoroughly, and tenax, holding fast.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The _____ fly survived three swats and a rolled-up newspaper.
- pertinacious
- conscientious
- litigious
Show the answer
pertinacious: The pertinacious fly survived three swats and a rolled-up newspaper.