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GRE vocabulary

intractable

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore I words

hard to control, manage, or solve

Word origin: From Latin tractare, to handle, from trahere, to draw.

In a sentence

Intractable in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing intractable in a sentence.

Poverty remains an intractable problem that resists simple solutions.

The dispute over water rights proved intractable, resisting every settlement the mediators proposed.

Synonyms
unmanageablestubbornobstinateunruly
Antonyms
manageabledocile
Usage & nuance

Using “intractable” well

Intractable describes problems too hard to solve or people too stubborn to manage, and it contrasts with manageable and docile.

Common questions

Questions about “intractable

Intractable (adjective) means hard to control, manage, or solve
Here is intractable used in an example sentence: "Poverty remains an intractable problem that resists simple solutions." Another example: "The dispute over water rights proved intractable, resisting every settlement the mediators proposed."
Common synonyms for intractable include unmanageable, stubborn, obstinate, unruly.
Antonyms of intractable include manageable, docile.
Intractable clusters with unmanageable, stubborn, obstinate, and unruly. Its antonyms manageable and docile mark the contrast.
Yes. Intractable is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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