When someone can’t admit they are wrong, it can be very frustrating. It’s even more frustrating when you can’t think of a good word to describe them. This article will look at the best synonyms to use to describe someone who won’t admit they are wrong.
Which Words Can Describe Someone Who Won’t Admit They Are Wrong?
There are plenty of words out there that apply somewhat to what we’re looking for. This article put together some of the best ones, and they include:
- Incorrigible
- Remorseless
- Unrepentant
- Stubborn
- Shameless
- Arrogant
The preferred version is “incorrigible” because it has the closest possible meaning to “someone who won’t admit they are wrong.” We use it to talk about somebody who is unmoving on their beliefs, even if it’s proved that they’re incorrect.
Incorrigible
You might think of an incorrigible person as someone who never admits fault or believes they are wrong, and you wouldn’t be far off. It’s a great word to have in your vocabulary, which is why we believe it’s the best word to describe someone who is never wrong.
Someone who is “incorrigible” is unable to accept that their behavior or viewpoints are bad. They refuse to change their stance and will do anything to make sure everyone else believes them.
The definition of “incorrigible,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “an incorrigible person or incorrigible behavior is bad and impossible to change or improve.”
The issue with dealing with “incorrigible” people mostly comes down to the fact that they always think of themselves as being in the right. For this reason, even if it’s clear that they’re not, they’ll eventually whittle you down until you have to “fake agree” with them.
If you get to the point where you’re pretending to agree with an incorrigible person, it means they have one. They’ll never see a situation where they’re wrong; therefore, you’re only validating their behavior and allowing themselves to think that “wrong” things are “right” more often.
Here are some cases where you might encounter an incorrigible person:
- You’re nothing but an incorrigible liar, and you will never accept that!
- You’re incorrigible! Don’t you understand that there are alternating views besides your own?
- Do you think me incorrigible? I’m well-educated, and I know what I’m talking about!
Remorseless
“Remorseless” is another great word that refers to somebody who never admits that they are wrong. We mostly use it when they’re not able to accept remorse (hence the suffix “-less”).
“Remorseless” means that somebody lacks “remorse.” “Remorse” is sadness and guilt, and if we lack it, it means we’re happy to believe that we’re right about something without showing any weakness or signs of guilt that we might be incorrect.
The definition of “remorseless,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “severe and showing no sadness or guilt.”
The remorselessness tends to come out when somebody tells us that we’re wrong. After they’ve provided sufficient evidence, they’ll usually ask us to see whether our opinion has changed.
If we’re still deadset on our own opinion without any fear of the repercussions, we are seen as “remorseless.”
You might see it as follows;
- You’re a remorseless soul, and I hope you get what’s coming to you!
- That’s fine if you don’t believe me! You’re nothing but a remorseless shrew anyway.
- I’ve never met somebody as remorseless as you! You just have to consider the other possibilities!
Unrepentant
Next, we come to “unrepentant.” “Repent” is a biblical word that we use when we feel sorry about our actions and want to redeem ourselves because of them. Including the “un-” prefix means we’re showing the opposite of that.
“Unrepentant” is a term you apply to somebody who never feels sorry for something that they’ve said or done. Even when presented with the facts that what they did was insensitive or cruel, they’ll still be happy to go on talking about how smart or wonderful they are.
The definition of “unrepentant,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not feeling sorry for something that you have done.”
An “unrepentant” person usually has a different worldview from most other people. They’ll see themselves as the kings or queens of the world, while everyone else has to bow down to them for all their shortcomings.
You might see “unrepentant” in the following ways:
- You’re an unrepentant Christian, which is crazy because repentance is your entire religion!
- Stop being so unrepentant and admit that what you did was cruel!
- You hurt a lot of people today, you unrepentant fool!
Stubborn
A stubborn person is a person who never accepts his mistake and refuses to move their stance on any situation.
“Stubborn” means that someone won’t back down from their opinions or beliefs. Even if you convince them otherwise, they’ll still refuse to admit that they were wrong.
The definition of “stubborn,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “determined to do what he or she wants and refuses to do anything else.”
The worst part about stubborn people is that they’ll usually be convinced that they were wrong themselves. However, because they’re so “stubborn,” they’ll never admit to being wrong – even when they know deep down that they are.
Stubborn people are perhaps the most common types of people to come across in this list. That’s because it’s not the harshest word here, and you can generally still be friends with somebody even if they are stubborn.
- He’s too stubborn to admit that he is wrong, so he won’t back down.
- I’m too stubborn for this, so I can’t tell her that I was wrong!
- You’re always so stubborn. I wish you would open up a little!
Shameless
Someone who is “shameless” is also someone who never apologizes for their beliefs. In their eyes, they can’t be wrong and have no shame with being wrong since it doesn’t matter whether the general public disagrees with their overall opinion.
Someone who is shameless lacks shame and therefore is happy to be wrong without fear of what other people might think. Even if their belief is generally frowned upon, they don’t care because they don’t have the shame that would allow them to care.
The definition of “shameless,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not ashamed, especially about something generally considered unacceptable.”
“Shameless” doesn’t always have to refer to someone who won’t admit that they’re wrong, though it works well in this case.
- You’re going to die on this hill because you’re too shameless to admit you’re wrong!
- I’m so shameless that I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I know I’m right.
- You’re wrong, you shameless oaf!
Arrogant
An arrogant person is someone who is never wrong (at least in their own mind). While it might be very obvious to us that someone who is arrogant is wrong, they refuse to accept it because they believe they’re better than everyone else.
An “arrogant” person is somebody who believes themselves to be better than everyone else. They’re very proud people with an over-inflated sense of importance, which makes it impossible to reason with them and prove that they are wrong about something.
The definition of “arrogant,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “unpleasantly proud and behaving as if you are more important than, or know more than, other people.”
“Arrogance” is an undesirable quality, and most people try to steer clear of people who demonstrate it. Still, it’s a great word to use in this case.
It’s best to try and avoid someone if they are “arrogant,” and there are very telling signs if they are. If they’re frequently putting you down and putting themselves above others, you know that you’ve got the wrong kind of person in your life.
- You’re too arrogant to realize that what you’re saying is incorrect.
- The things you’re doing are wrong, but your arrogance won’t let you realize that.
- You won’t admit it because you’re too arrogant, but you know you’re in the wrong here!
How Do You Deal With A Person Who Never Admits They’re Wrong?
It might help you to know how to deal with a person who never admits they’re wrong. For the most part, they’re nasty people to be around and make it difficult to be friends with them.
If you know someone who never admits they’re wrong, you should have a calm and collected conversation with them about the opposing views that prove their own ideals incorrect.
If you have a rational discussion with them and they’re still not open to see the “correct” view, it might be time to end that friendship. This is a sign of toxic behavior, which brings nothing but bad blood into your life, and they’re not worth keeping on board.
Sometimes, they’re not always your friends. You might be stuck with a boss or coworker who believes themselves to never be wrong. In these cases, it’s not as simple as removing them from your life.
If you are someone in this situation, we recommend trying to get through to them with evidence and facts. If they still won’t take your view into consideration, then it’s best to move away from the conversation and avoid any topics that might trigger a debate.