1. stubborn or heat-resistant; difficult to manage or work with

1. a heat-resistant material, especially a brick or ceramic used in furnaces
Usage: technical

Examples

• The refractory student refused to follow classroom rules.
• Refractory materials are essential for lining industrial furnaces.
• The horse proved refractory and would not obey commands.
• Workers installed refractory bricks in the steel mill’s blast furnace.
• Her refractory behavior made teaching the class difficult.
• The kiln was lined with refractory cement to withstand high temperatures.