Word: intractable (adjective)

Associations

The word "intractable" describes something very difficult to manage, control, or solve. It is often used for problems, situations, or people that are stubborn or hard to deal with.

• The intractable problem of poverty. This means poverty is very hard to solve.
• An intractable child who refuses to listen. This means the child is very stubborn.
• Intractable pain that doesn’t go away easily. This means the pain is hard to treat. A similar word is "stubborn," but "intractable" is often used for bigger problems or situations, not just people’s attitudes.

Substitution

You can replace "intractable" with:

• Difficult
• Unmanageable
• Hard to solve Using "difficult" makes it more general, while "intractable" sounds stronger and more serious.

Deconstruction

The word "intractable" comes from:

• Prefix "in-" meaning "not"
• Root "tract" from Latin "tractare" meaning "to handle or manage"
• Suffix "-able" meaning "capable of" So, "intractable" literally means "not capable of being managed."

Inquiry

Think about a problem you faced that was hard to solve. Would you call it intractable? Why or why not? Can you think of a situation where a person might be described as intractable? What makes them so? How is "intractable" different from just "difficult" in your opinion?