WordGarden.iocussedness
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /kˈʌstnəs/
US
- /kˈʌstnəs/
Meanings
Noun
stubborn, willful contrariness or perversity in a person
(informal)the annoying tendency of a thing or situation to be troublesome or go wrong
Beyond the definition
Cussedness isn't just being stubborn; it's a particular kind of stubbornness—one with a bit of bad temper and a refusal to be talked into it. Think of an old mule who simply won't budge, no matter how sweetly you ask. It implies a deliberate choice to take the hard path, even when doing so makes no practical sense.
You often hear cussedness in folksy, old-fashioned speech—especially in rural parts of the U.S.—where someone might be described as having "a streak of cussedness," meaning they're prone to acting contrary just for the sake of it. A child refusing to put on their shoes out of pure defiance could be exhibiting cussedness, but so could an old farmer refusing help with his harvest even when he clearly needs it. It's not necessarily malicious; it's just a determined way of being difficult.
Cussedness is a folksy term for stubbornness, particularly the kind that's willful, defiant, and often accompanied by a bit of ill temper. It goes beyond simply disagreeing; it suggests an active resistance to being persuaded or controlled, even when cooperation would be the easier or more logical path.
The word is tied to "cursedness," with "cussed" often used as a mild stand-in for "cursed." That history hints at an older idea of someone being almost "born that way"—as if the trait sits deep in their nature. While it is most frequently used to describe people, it is also famously applied to "the innate cussedness of inanimate objects"—that frustrating tendency for a car to break down or a tool to fail at the exact moment you need it most.
Cussedness often carries a slightly affectionate, albeit exasperated, tone, especially when applied to older relatives or characters in stories. It suggests a strong-willed independence that, while frustrating, is seen as an essential part of their character. You might say your grandfather has "a bit of cussedness," meaning he's set in his ways and won't be moved by modern convenience.
However, it can also be used to describe someone who is simply unpleasant or uncooperative. "Don't mind Old Man Hemlock; he's got a whole heap of cussedness about him." While the meaning is widely understood, the word itself is most at home in American Southern and Appalachian dialects, adding a touch of regional color to the language. Ultimately, while stubbornness can be neutral, cussedness implies a deliberate, slightly cranky choice to be difficult.
Examples
- 1
Stubborn resistance
His cussedness showed up whenever someone tried to tell him what to do.
- 2
Deliberate defiance
Out of sheer cussedness, she took the longer way home after we suggested a shortcut.
- Phraseout of sheer cussedness
simply because of a stubborn desire to resist
- 3
Personality trait
There was a streak of cussedness in her, so the more people pushed, the less likely she was to agree.
See also
Similar
- stubbornness
- obstinacy
- contrariness
Shades of meaning
- perversity
- pigheadedness
- intransigence
Contrast
- cooperativeness
- flexibility
Do not confuse
- cussing
Used with (collocations)
- sheer cussedness
- out of cussedness
- human cussedness
Word family
- cussed
- cussedly
Explore
- recalcitrance
- defiance
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- cussednessnoun