headstrong

adjective

head·​strong ˈhed-ˌstrȯŋ 

1

: not easily restrained : impatient of control, advice, or suggestions

a headstrong teenager

2

: directed by ungovernable will

headstrong behavior

Synonyms of headstrong

• stubborn
• rebellious
• willful
• uncontrollable
• wayward

Choose the Right Synonym for headstrong

unruly, ungovernable, intractable, refractory, recalcitrant, willful, headstrong mean not submissive to government or control.

unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

ungovernable implies either an escape from control or guidance or a state of being unsubdued and incapable of controlling oneself or being controlled by others.

ungovernable rage

intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

Examples of headstrong in a Sentence

The child is very headstrong.

He is known for his headstrong behavior.

Recent Examples on the Web

Giavara stresses that the headstrong protagonists in both movies are named Mac (Mack in Migration) and are helped by an older mentor bird who introduces an alternative world view by encouraging freedom and exploration. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026

His easy-going temperament was supposed to backfire as the successor to an intense, headstrong predecessor. — Sylvana Quader Sinha, Forbes.com, 15 June 2026

Fisher is set to play Barbara Van Laar, the artistic and headstrong teen with a punk sensibility, whose disappearance is at the heart of the series. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 May 2026

Lama, a social activist of several decades, sheds any sense of artifice in playing the headstrong Pirati, a woman whose convictions are as compelling as her desires, her vulnerabilities and even her hypocrisies. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for headstrong

• agung
• along
• belong
• birdsong
• furlong
• headlong
• lifelong
• plainsong
• prolong
• sarong
• tanjong
• weeklong

Kids Definition

headstrong

adjective

head·​strong -ˌstrȯŋ 

1

: not easily controlled : wanting one's own way

a headstrong child

2

: directed by uncontrollable will

violent headstrong actions