intractable
adjective
in·trac·ta·ble
(ˌ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl 
1
: not easily governed, managed, or directed
intractable problems
2
: not easily relieved or cured
intractable pain
3
: not easily manipulated or shaped
intractable metal
Examples of intractable in a Sentence
Contrary to the idea of black holes sucking everything, even light, into inconceivable nothingness, Hawking proposed that there was one thing that could escape a black hole's intractable grip: thermal radiation …
—
Bruno Maddox, Discover, September 2006
Sepsis, which is what happens to the body when an infection goes bad, is one of mankind's oldest and most intractable foes.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 24 July 2000
But now anesthesiologists have begun turning to an herb to help treat a deadly and often intractable lung condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people a year.
—Eric Nagourney, New York Times, 26 Oct. 1999
a patient experiencing intractable pain
an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told
Bruno Maddox, Discover, September 2006
Sepsis, which is what happens to the body when an infection goes bad, is one of mankind's oldest and most intractable foes.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 24 July 2000
But now anesthesiologists have begun turning to an herb to help treat a deadly and often intractable lung condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people a year.
—Eric Nagourney, New York Times, 26 Oct. 1999
a patient experiencing intractable pain
an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told
Recent Examples on the Web
The open-source project has been used by millions of scientists in more than 190 countries, accelerating research into diseases previously considered intractable.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
The seemingly intractable situation has resulted in one of the longest shutdowns in American history.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
Prisons hide away many of society’s most intractable problems—violence, mental illness, addiction—but the officers who work inside spend their days face to face with them.
—Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
France’s prime minister resigned less than a month after taking office, plunging the country deeper into a seemingly intractable political crisis.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intractable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
The seemingly intractable situation has resulted in one of the longest shutdowns in American history.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
Prisons hide away many of society’s most intractable problems—violence, mental illness, addiction—but the officers who work inside spend their days face to face with them.
—Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
France’s prime minister resigned less than a month after taking office, plunging the country deeper into a seemingly intractable political crisis.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intractable
Cite this Entry
“Intractable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intractable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intractable
adjective
in·trac·ta·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl
1
: not easily managed or controlled
an intractable child
2
: not easily relieved or cured
intractable pain
Medical Definition
intractable
adjective
in·trac·ta·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl
1
: not easily managed or controlled (as by antibiotics or psychotherapy)
an intractable child
activity against many intractable Proteus and Pseudomonas species of bacteria—Annual Report Pfizer
Annual Report Pfizer2
: not easily relieved or cured
intractable pain
intractable bleeding in duodenal ulcer—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share