Difficult to deal with; contrary, stubborn, and willfully disobedient; not easily managed or persuaded.
From Old English fromweard, combining 'from' (away) plus 'weard' (directed), literally meaning 'directed away'; evolved to mean 'contrary' or 'turned away from authority.'
Froward is an archaic word that was perfect for describing difficult people before we had words like 'stubborn'—it captures the sense of someone actively working against you rather than just being lazy.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.