willed

adjective \ ˈwild \

Definition of willed

1 :having a will especially of a specified kind —usually used in combination

strong-willed

2 :deliberate

See willed defined for kids

Examples of willed in a Sentence

a hard-nosed industrialist with a willed indifference to public opinion

Recent Examples of willed from the Web

My tough-willed little girl fell asleep without her thumb, without a cry or complaint for bunny, for more than a month.

— laura johnston, cleveland.com, "My daughter stopped sucking her thumb: Multitasking Moms and Dads," 6 Aug. 2017
President Trump’s Twitter feed blames weak-willed senators.

— david frum, The Atlantic, "The Real Reason Trump’s Obamacare Repeal Push Failed," 1 Aug. 2017
Many Siamese, for example, can be strong willed and vocal, but there’s no guarantee that every Siamese will be that way.

— joan morris, The Mercury News, "Cats 101: Basic care and feeding of your feline," 12 June 2017
Yes, the film noir follows the rags-to-riches ascent of a strong-willed single mom.

— cleveland.com, "'Wonder Woman' to 'Wizard of Oz': 32 movies with strong females," 2 June 2017
In fact, even Emily’s own family has trouble living up to her exacting standards, which leads to estrangement from her weak-willed brother.

— chris hewitt, Twin Cities, "‘Quiet Passion’ is a vital, precise picture of Emily Dickinson," 21 May 2017
As strong-willed American nurse Lillie, Icelandic actress Hera Hilmar never quite nails the accent required to play the daughter of a well-to-do family in 1914 Philadelphia.

— stephanie merry, Orange County Register, "‘Ottoman Lieutenant’: War is no place for this corny love story," 9 Mar. 2017
And from the beginning, it was overseen by a strong-willed German board that knew well the risks and rewards that came with such a business.

— landon thomas jr., New York Times, "Deutsche Bank Flew and Fell. Some Paid a High Price.," 30 Dec. 2016
This author means business: Lou Dobbs, the strong-willed anchor and managing editor of CNN’s Moneyline, will write a book about his experiences.

— wired news report, WIRED, "MusicNet Ready, But Will It Play?," 27 Sep. 2001

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'willed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of willed

14th century

willed Synonyms

Synonyms

conscious, deliberate, intended, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, voluntary, intentional, willful (or wilful), witting

Antonyms

nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional

Related Words

designed, planned; conscious; advised, calculated, considered, measured, reasoned, studied, thoughtful, weighed; premeditated, premeditative, prepense; discretionary, elective, optional, volunteer

Near Antonyms

inadvertent, unwitting; accidental, chance, haphazard, hit-or-miss, incidental, random; aimless, desultory, purposeless; abrupt, impetuous, sudden; coerced, forced, involuntary; compulsory, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required; casual; extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unforced, unpremeditated

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See words that rhyme with willed Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for willed Nglish: Translation of willed for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of willed for Arabic speakers

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willed

Definition of willed

Examples of willed in a Sentence

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