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entêter

to make stubborn

verb ahn-teh-TEH Rare
Mind & Emotions Attitudes

Also means

to obsess (intoxicate with a smell)

Usage Note

Entêter comes from tête ('head'), with the sense of something going to one's head. It is most commonly used reflexively — s'entêter means 'to persist stubbornly' or 'to dig one's heels in'. The related adjective entêté ('stubborn, pig-headed') is very common in everyday French. A near-synonym for s'entêter is s'obstiner.

Examples

"Il s'entête à refuser toute aide."

Natural Translation

He stubbornly refuses all help.

Literal Translation

He digs his heels in to refuse all help.

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