self-willed

adjective

ˌself-ˈwild How to pronounce self-willed (audio)
Definition of self-willednext
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion a self-willed toddler who refused to take her shoes off in the examining room

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-willed
  1. stubborn
  2. adamant
Adjective
  • But Democrats face a tall task ahead, economists say, especially because the broader economic challenges that vexed voters stem from global conflicts like the Iran war and stubborn inflation.
    — Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • With corporate profits and consumer spending remaining healthy, layoffs also remain low despite stubborn inflation and recent jitters in the stock market over whether the pace of AI investment is sustainable.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • On the younger side was Matthew Briggs, who was adamant to see Brooks live despite only knowing one song.
    — Rashad Alexander November 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Regardless, Republican Sam Matthews, an at-times independent voter who dropped into the Ohio GOP bus tour launch party in Strongsville, remained adamant Democrats continued to be too extreme for most of the electorate.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of adamant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

self-will
self-willed
self-worth
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Cite this Entry

“Self-willed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-willed. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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