執しつ拗よう

し

つ

よ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Describes a person or action that is stubbornly persistent, often with a negative nuance of being annoyingly insistent or not giving up.

彼かれは執しつ拗ように同おなじ質しつ問もんを繰くり返かえした。
He persistently repeated the same question.
執しつ拗ような追つい跡せきで、ついに犯はん人にんを捕つかまえた。
Through tenacious pursuit, they finally caught the criminal.

See all 18 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

執しつ拗ように〈動どう詞し〉to do something persistently/relentlessly
彼かれは執しつ拗ように同おなじ質しつ問もんを繰くり返かえした。
He persistently repeated the same question over and over.
執しつ拗ように〈事こと〉にこだわるto stubbornly fixate on something
上じょう司しは細こまかい表ひょう現げんに執しつ拗ようにこだわった。
My boss stubbornly fixated on minor wording.
執しつ拗ような〈人ひと〉a relentlessly persistent person
彼かれは執しつ拗ような性せい格かくで、一いち度ど言いい出だすと諦あきらめない。
He has a relentlessly persistent nature and never backs down once he speaks his mind.
執しつ拗ように〈相あい手て〉を追おいかけるto relentlessly chase/pursue someone
記き者しゃは彼かれを執しつ拗ように追おいかけて質しつ問もんした。
The reporter relentlessly chased after him with questions.

Kanji

執tenacious, take hold, grasp
拗crooked, twisted, distorted

Related words

しつこいN3
しつこい is the everyday, colloquial word for being annoyingly persistent, while 執拗 is more formal and literary in tone.
頑がん固こN2
頑固 describes a stubborn personality trait in general, whereas 執拗 focuses on relentless, unyielding behavior in a specific situation.
執しゅう念ねん深ぶかい
執念深い adds a nuance of grudge-holding or vindictiveness, while 執拗 simply describes stubborn persistence without implying resentment.

Written forms

執拗Usage98%
- しつよう
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading しつおう is rare and archaic.
- しつおう
執しつようUsage2%
Simplified spelling using よう for the second character; less common but acceptable.
しつようUsage1%
しつおう

Etymology

The kanji 執 means 'to hold' or 'to persist', and 拗 means 'to twist' or 'to be obstinate'. Together they convey the idea of stubbornly clinging to something. The reading しつよう is the standard on'yomi; しつおう is an older, now rare reading.