genstridige

Genstridige is a Scandinavian adjective used in Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish to describe people, attitudes, or actions that are stubbornly opposed to others, rules, or accepted norms. The base form genstridig is used for masculine or neuter singular nouns, while genstridige is used with plural nouns or feminine forms. The word is built from the root strid, meaning conflict or dispute, with a prefix-like element that signals opposition.

In usage, genstridige describes a tendency to resist compromise or to oppose authority, decisions, or commonly accepted positions. It often carries a critical or negative tone and is typically applied to behavior rather than to neutral facts. In political, organizational, or everyday contexts, it can refer to individuals or groups whose stance is deliberately unyielding. Common collocations include genstridige holdninger (contentious attitudes), genstridige krav (obstinate demands), and genstridig standpunkt (a stubborn stance). While descriptive, the term can be pejorative and should be used with awareness of its evaluative nuance.