ดื้อ
stubborn
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 stubborn、disobedient、naughty、willful
- 2 resistant、hard to treat
ดื้อ describes something or someone that resists what is expected or intended. With people, it means stubborn or disobedient; with things like medicine, germs, or stains, it means resistant or hard to deal with.
stubborn、disobedient、naughty、willful
Used for a person or animal that does not listen, obey, or accept advice, often in a stubborn or naughty way. It is especially common when talking about children.
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เด็กดื้อ dèk dʉ̂ʉ a naughty child เด็กดื้อ details
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อย่าดื้อนะ yàa dʉ̂ʉ ná Don’t be naughty. อย่าดื้อนะ details
Show more (2)
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หมาตัวนี้ดื้อ mǎa tua níi dʉ̂ʉ This dog is disobedient. หมาตัวนี้ดื้อ details
resistant、hard to treat
Used for things that do not respond well to treatment, cleaning, or control, such as medicine-resistant germs or stains that are hard to remove.
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เชื้อดื้อยา chʉ́a dʉ̂ʉ yaa drug-resistant bacteria เชื้อดื้อยา details
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โรคดื้อยา rôok dʉ̂ʉ yaa a drug-resistant disease โรคดื้อยา details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of ดื้อ is resistance to outside control, advice, treatment, or effort. Its most basic use is for children, adults, or animals that do not listen, obey, or change their behavior. When used about adults, it often sounds critical. The meaning also extends to things such as medicine, bacteria, diseases, or stains that do not respond as expected, as in ดื้อยา, “drug-resistant.” Some dictionaries note a use with blades meaning “dull,” but it is not a core learner-level meaning.
Usage
This word is common at home or school when talking about children who do not listen to parents or teachers. It is also natural for pets that do not obey training. In medical and news contexts, ดื้อยา is used for drug resistance, and in everyday speech ดื้อ can describe stubborn stains or problems.
Caution
Calling an adult คุณดื้อ can sound rude or accusatory. ดื้อ is usually not a compliment, so it should not be used for positive ideas like being determined or principled; words such as มุ่งมั่น are more appropriate for that.
Differences from similar words
1 stubborn synonyms
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ซน means playful, mischievous, or restless, especially for children or animals. ดื้อ focuses more on refusing to listen or obey.
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ดื้อรั้น is stronger than ดื้อ and suggests obstinately holding one’s ground. ดื้อ is more everyday and can simply describe a child who does not listen.