Skip to main content
bullheaded

bullheaded

3 7.4
Refusing to change your mind even when it is not a good idea
  • adjective
  • /ˈbʊlˌhɛdɪd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : cabezota
  • It's just that stubborn, bullheaded pride of his that hates to admit he's done wrong.
  • too bullheaded
  • just downright bullheaded

And so knowing that, you know, I still was a just a rambunctious bullheaded idiot kid.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Mike Banning's one of the most bullheaded men I've ever met.

  • In other words, the bullheaded sometimes fail, but great successes often result from bullheaded behavior.

    Blog text (29)
  • - Well, you are bullheaded, honey.

  • I just married the biggest ass in South Carolina and was too bullheaded to see it.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Characters like these can be both blind and bullheaded.

    Academic text (2011)
  • This industry is so corporate and bullheaded that everything has to be rushed to get the best money out of it.

    Blog text (26)
  • Yeah, well, he can be bullheaded and stubborn sometimes.

  • Honestly, I've tried to show him, but this one is just too bullheaded.

  • He wasn't about to let this bullheaded, narrow-minded man run his life any longer.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Despite all the evidence presented, he remained bullheaded and refused to change his opinion.

Synonyms

stubborn
vsbullheaded
217 2.9

Not willing to change your mind even when others try to persuade you

carries extra sense of senseless, foolish refusal beyond mere refusal
adamant
vsbullheaded
72 6.8

Not willing to change one's mind even when others disagree

is more senselessly stubborn and foolish rather than only firm
headstrong
vsbullheaded
18 4.1

Someone who wants to do things their own way and refuses advice

leans more toward foolishly taken action rather than plain willfulness
obstinate
vsbullheaded
16 7.5

Refusing to change your opinion or behavior even when others try to persuade you

adds a sense of senseless refusal rather than simple persistence
inflexible
vsbullheaded
11 4.7

Not willing to change or accept other ideas

adds a foolish, senseless tone rather than mere rigidity
recalcitrant
vsbullheaded
  • Formal
11 8.1

Not willing to follow rules or accept control

is about personal foolish refusal rather than resisting control or rules
pigheaded
vsbullheaded
  • Offensive
9 7.8

Refusing to change your mind or actions even when you are wrong

expresses stronger blunt foolishness rather than mere stubbornness
intransigent
vsbullheaded
8 8.1

Not willing to change views or agree with others

is more narrowly senseless and unreasonable in its refusal
wrongheaded
vsbullheaded
6 8.0

Stubborn in keeping ideas that are wrong

is stubborn in a foolish way without focusing on wrong ideas
hardheaded
vsbullheaded
6 6.7

Refusing to change your mind even when shown evidence

conveys a more senseless, unreasonable refusal rather than simple resistance
obdurate
vsbullheaded
3 8.8

A person who refuses to change their opinion or behaviour even when others try to persuade them

is similar but carries more senseless or unreasonable refusal
stiff-necked
vsbullheaded
1 8.1

Not willing to change your mind or actions

adds a sense of senseless, foolish refusal rather than only rigidity
unregenerate
vsbullheaded
1 9.9

Refusing to change beliefs or show regret, even when wrong

focuses more on foolish refusal rather than moral refusal or remorse
bullet-headed
vsbullheaded
  • Offensive
9.7

Being stubborn and not clever

shows more foolish refusal rather than plain persistence
hammer-headed
vsbullheaded
  • Offensive
8.4

Not willing to change your mind even when others disagree

highlights senseless refusal more than blunt stubborn attitude
thran
vsbullheaded
  • Archaic
9.9

Not willing to change your mind or what you do

implies a more senseless and foolish refusal than simple firmness
as stubborn as an anvil
vsbullheaded
  • Informal
9.2

Refusing to change an opinion even when people give reasons

focuses more on senseless, foolish refusal rather than only total resistance
bloody-minded
vsbullheaded
  • Offensive
9.1

Refuses to cooperate to cause trouble

is stubborn too but driven by foolish refusal rather than spiteful obstruction

Antonyms

155 3.4

Able to change or be changed to fit different situations

80 3.7

Ready to listen to new ideas and accept different views

How Stubborn

intransigent
8 8.1
bullheaded
  • Offensive
3 7.4
obstinate
16 7.5
stubborn
217 2.9
headstrong
18 4.1

Surface Forms

bullheaded positive

Morphology

bullheaded = bull + headed (semi-transparent) = bull + headed

The structure 'bull' + 'headed' is clear, but the idiomatic meaning 'stubborn' relies on a metaphorical association rather than a literal 'head like a bull'.

Etymology

Bullheaded comes from the animal bull and the word head, giving the picture of a bull that will not turn its head. So a bullheaded person is 'stubborn' and refuses to change their mind or plan.