Someone recalcitrant refuses to do what they are told, and keeps refusing. The word is stronger than 'stubborn' in one particular way: it implies authority is involved. There is someone giving orders, and this person is not obeying — and pressure, warnings, even punishment have not worked.

Someone recalcitrant一個recalcitrant的人 refuses to do what they are told不肯照別人說的做，and keeps refusing而且一直不肯。The word is比 'stubborn'「stubborn」（固執） stronger than語氣更重，in one particular way在一個地方特別明顯：it implies authority is involved它暗示了有權威在裡面。There is someone giving orders有人在下命令，and this person is not obeying而這個人不服從——and pressure, warnings, even punishment have not worked就算施壓、警告、甚至處罰都沒有用。

A recalcitrant student has been spoken to already. A recalcitrant government has been asked several times.

A recalcitrant student一個recalcitrant的學生 has been spoken to already已經被講過了。A recalcitrant government一個recalcitrant的政府 has been asked several times已經被要求過好幾次了。

It is a formal word, mainly written. Reports, news, history, official language. In speech people say 'he won't do what he's told', 'she's difficult', 'they refuse to cooperate'.

It is a formal word這是個正式的字，mainly written主要用在書面上。Reports, news, history, official language像是報告、新聞、歷史、公文用語。In speech口語裡，people say大家會說 'he won't do what he's told'「he won't do what he's told」（他不肯照講的做）、'she's difficult'「she's difficult」（她很難搞）、'they refuse to cooperate'「they refuse to cooperate」（他們拒絕配合）。

Two extras. It stretches nicely to things that will not work: 'a recalcitrant lock', 'the recalcitrant printer' — a small joke, treating the object as if it were being difficult on purpose, and quite a common one in English. And it can be a noun for the person: 'the recalcitrants at the back of the class'. That noun use is rarer and sounds rather official.

Two extras再補充兩點。It stretches nicely to things that will not work這個字也可以延伸到不聽使喚的東西上：'a recalcitrant lock'「a recalcitrant lock」（很難搞的鎖）、'the recalcitrant printer'「the recalcitrant printer」（很難搞的印表機）——a small joke這是個小玩笑，treating the object as if it were being difficult on purpose把東西講得好像是故意在作對一樣，and quite a common one in English而且在英文裡蠻常見的。And it can be a noun for the person它也可以當名詞指人：'the recalcitrants at the back of the class'「the recalcitrants at the back of the class」（坐在教室後面那些不聽話的人）。That noun use is rarer and sounds rather official這種名詞用法比較少見，聽起來也比較公文腔。

One more thing worth keeping straight: the word describes the refusing, not what is refused. A recalcitrant person may be right — a writer using the word usually thinks otherwise, but the word itself is about the digging-in.

One more thing worth keeping straight還有一點要分清楚：the word describes the refusing這個字講的是「拒絕」這個動作本身，not what is refused而不是拒絕的內容對不對。A recalcitrant person may be right一個recalcitrant的人也可能是對的——a writer using the word usually thinks otherwise只是用這個字的人通常不這麼認為，but the word itself is about the digging-in但這個字本身講的就是那種堅持不退讓的態度。