Mulish
/ˈmjuːlɪʃ/noun
Stubbornly obstinate; hard to persuade or move.
Did you know?The word comes from mule, and that animal’s reputation for stubbornness became so strong that English turned it into a permanent insult for human behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
mūl
“A mule, the sterile hybrid offspring of a donkey and a horse.”
Middle English
ME
mule
“A mule; later also a symbol of stubbornness.”
Late Middle English
ME
mulishe
“Having the nature or qualities of a mule; stubborn.”
Modern English
English
mulish
“Stubbornly obstinate or unyielding.”