SELF-WILLS Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

self-will

noun

ˌself-ˈwil

Definition of self-will

as in stubbornness

a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion a schoolboy with a streak of self-will and rebellion

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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.

Recent Examples of self-will This requires yielding – surrendering self-will, fear, and human outlining – to the pure activity of Christ within consciousness. — Larissa Snorek, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2025 But also injuries and ailments at all the wrong times, as well as overt self-will at times. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2025 So for those of us torn between watching the sun get blotted out and getting blotto keeping our attention on a particularly good rock show, this exercise in multi-tasking was a real contest of self-will. — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-will

Noun

The film’s cast is mostly made up of tribal non-actors, but Anghlong Konyak is its captivating center, as a man whose stubbornness against change sits alongside a lingering grief over his fading way of life.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Perhaps the stubbornness on both sides is why this rivalry thrives despite its nonconference status.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of stubbornness

Noun

From grandmother to grandchild, these three sets of two sisters were powerful characters possessed with passion, willfulness, bravery, and devotion to each other.

— Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026

Definition of willfulness

Noun

Starmer’s realism—or obstinacy, depending on your point of view—had seen off an immediate challenge.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026

Definition of obstinacy

Noun

Then there’s a clearing of throats, and like malware, the narratives begin to establish persistence over mood and multiply.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
The dehumanization of Black people represented by the persistence of Confederate iconography in mainstream culture became an underground signifier of the precariousness of the freedoms enshrined by the 14th Amendment.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of persistence

Noun

The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.

— Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025
The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.

— Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 2 May 2023

Definition of persistency

Noun

Perhaps the greatest testament to Morocco’s obduracy came late in normal time, when Rodri — a central midfielder being deployed as a central defender — strode forward and shot, more in hope than in expectation, from 35 yards.

— Rory Smith, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022
But a year later, more than two dozen of them remain stuck in Afghanistan, stalled by bureaucratic wrangling, the vagaries of international diplomacy and the obduracy of the Taliban government.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022

Definition of obduracy

Noun

One reason for the Kremlin's intransigence is that Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have a relatively greater impact than Ukraine's.

— Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
The fact that so many diplomats before him have struggled is a testament not to the intransigence of international problems but to the mediocrity of his predecessors.

— Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of intransigence

Noun

But Carney’s resolve is being tested on more than one front, after the separatist Parti Québécois won Quebec's provincial election earlier this month.

— Callum Sutherland, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Ukraine is warning that Russia is escalating that strategy this winter to break Ukraine’s resolve in its defense.

— Laura Kelly, The Hill, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of resolve

Browse Nearby Words

self-trust

self-will

self-willed

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Style

“Self-will.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-will. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-will

noun

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