hardnekkige

Hardnekkige is a Dutch adjective meaning stubborn, persistent, or tenacious. It describes something or someone that resists change or removal and continues despite effort to stop or overcome it. The term can refer to people, habits, problems, or phenomena, such as a hardnekkige hoest (persistent cough) or een hardnekkige gewoonte (a stubborn habit).

In Dutch, the base form is hardnekkig. When used before a noun in attributive position, the adjective typically takes the ending -e, yielding hardnekkige (for example, een hardnekkige gewoonte, de hardnekkige ziekte, harde gewoonten in het algemeen). In predicative position, after a linking verb, the form is usually hardnekkig (De hoest is hardnekkig).

Etymology generally traces the word to a compound of hard and nek (neck), historically describing someone who is “stiff-necked” or unbending, and by extension someone who is difficult to deter.

Common synonyms include vasthoudend and volhardend, which emphasize perseverance, while more colloquial or pejorative terms such as koppig and eigenwijs describe stubbornness in everyday speech. Antonyms include flexibel, meegaand, and toegevend, which imply adaptability or conformity.

Usage notes: hardnekkige is primarily used attributively before a noun. As a predicate adjective, the form without -e (hardnekkig) is typical. The term frequently appears in medical, social, or behavioral contexts to describe persistent conditions, habits, or attitudes, and it can carry either neutral or slightly negative connotations depending on context.