1
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a headstrong child who likes to test the limits of his parents' patience
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adamant
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
the tenants of the building remain headstrong in their determination not to be evicted by the developer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of headstrong
The girl had always been headstrong.
—
Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Ibsen’s title character is a spoiled, headstrong young woman who, newly and unhappily married to a dull scholar, enacts a Machiavellian scheme to advance his career and her social standing, with catastrophic results.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Directed by Charles Stone III, Drumline captures the electric energy of HBCU band culture through the eyes of Devon Miles, a talented yet headstrong drummer from New York.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
Robert is an accomplished but headstrong gastroenterologist whose demeanor makes Martin’s prickly bedside manner seem warm by comparison.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headstrong
Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Ibsen’s title character is a spoiled, headstrong young woman who, newly and unhappily married to a dull scholar, enacts a Machiavellian scheme to advance his career and her social standing, with catastrophic results.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Directed by Charles Stone III, Drumline captures the electric energy of HBCU band culture through the eyes of Devon Miles, a talented yet headstrong drummer from New York.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
Robert is an accomplished but headstrong gastroenterologist whose demeanor makes Martin’s prickly bedside manner seem warm by comparison.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headstrong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headstrong
Adjective
-
California continues to face a stubborn digital divide.—
William Jones,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Experts warn that the stubborn metric has long-term implications for learning.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Democrats, however, remain adamant that verbal assurances are no longer enough.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The club were adamant that any January signing would be made with a view towards the long-term, rather than opting for a short-term fix, but the injury to Jeremie Frimpong, which left Liverpool without a fit right-back, did alter that.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Your 6th House of Labor hosts mental Mercury, which squares rebellious Uranus in your 9th House of Journeys, stirring tension between tradition and modernization.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Lang went on to appear in most of Fuller’s films, including playing a rebellious German countess in his 1980 war epic The Big Red One, and several by their friend Wim Wenders.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And his time was one too of witnessing the willful destruction of entire cultures, the taking of lands, the Trail of Tears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The fundamental flaw in the TrumpRx model lies in a misunderstanding — or perhaps a willful misrepresentation — of how most Americans pay for their prescription medications.—
Ryan N. Hansen,
STAT,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some researchers question whether addiction is the appropriate term to describe heavy use of social media, arguing that a person must be experiencing identifiable symptoms, like strong, sometimes uncontrollable urges and withdrawal, to qualify as addiction.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
-
An additional hurdle with AZMBs is the uncontrollable side reactions that occur when battery temperature exceeds 140°F (60 °C).—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mehrunissa Begum wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near Lake Geneva in 1816, instead searching London for her wayward brother.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
As wayward posh actress Moira Rose, O’Hara’s one-liners were meme gold and earned her critical praise.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headstrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headstrong. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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