What does mulishness mean?
Mulishness is the noun form of “mulish” and means stubborn, unyielding resistance to persuasion, compromise, or a change of position. It describes conduct that is not merely cautious or temporarily hesitant but persistently immovable, often despite sound arguments or practical consequences. The word has a mildly disparaging tone because it attributes deliberate obstinacy to a person, a government, an institution, or an opposing party. It is especially useful in formal writing and discussion when the writer wishes to characterize opposition as exceptionally persistent rather than merely debatable. For example, a negotiator may describe an opponent’s repeated rejection of compromise as mulishness. The expression is less common in everyday conversation than the simpler “stubbornness,” but it gives a more pointed, literary emphasis to the behavior it describes.
nounThe quality or state of being stubbornly unwilling to change one's position, accept advice, or cooperate. The term is often disparaging and conveys patient, unyielding resistance.
- Stubborn, unyielding resistance to persuasion, compromise, or change.
"Despite hours of discussion, the officials remained obstinate in their mulishness."
"His mulishness prevented him from acknowledging that the plan had failed."
"The negotiator abandoned the discussion, convinced that further appeals would meet only more mulishness."
The plural is grammatical but rarely needed because the word is usually used in the singular.
"The negotiations exposed several different forms of mulishness among the delegates."
Mulishness turns the mule's reputation for stubbornness into a precise name for determined resistance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mulishness come from?
The word is formed from “mulish,” meaning mule-like, with the suffix “-ness” added to create a noun denoting a quality or state. “Mulish” ultimately derives from “mule,” which comes through Old French from Latin “mulus,” a term for a male donkey. The mule's traditional reputation for stubbornness supplied the basis for the figurative sense. English “mulish” existed before the modern form “mulishness” became established.
Related word forms
How mulishness is actually used
This is a formal, somewhat literary and generally disparaging term. It suggests stubbornness that is deliberate, persistent, and resistant to persuasion rather than uncertainty or simple reluctance.