refractory

stubbornly hard to manage

Roots

fract / frag: break, break back, shatter, or become breakable
re-: back, again, or backward motion

Other words with the fract / frag root

fractious: irritable, quarrelsome, or hard to control
fracture: a break or crack
fragile: easily broken or damaged
fragment: a broken piece of something larger
frail: weak and easily damaged or broken
frailty: weakness or the condition of being frail

Refractory resistance breaks back against control instead of yielding.

The refractory committee ignored every compromise.

Fracture makes the break root visible. Refractory began near breaking back, then came to mean stubborn, hard to manage, or resistant to ordinary treatment.