Synonyms of willful

willful

adjective

ˈwil-fəl 

variants or wilful

1

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control

a particularly willful horse that took weeks to break to saddle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rebellious
• rebel
• defiant
• stubborn
• contumacious
• mischievous
• disobedient
• contrary
• dogged
• wayward
• unruly
• rigid
• obstreperous
• naughty
• adamant
• intractable
• insubordinate
• recalcitrant
• restive
• refractory
• ungovernable
• balky
• unrelenting
• froward
• dissident
• wild
• untoward
• uncontrollable
• recusant
• obstinate
• rude
• bad
• incompliant
• resistant
• insurgent
• headstrong
• uncooperative
• opinionated
• implacable
• mutinous
• uncompromising
• obdurate
• peevish
• noncooperative
• mulish
• hardheaded
• unyielding
• negativistic
• pigheaded
• unbending
• self-willed
• pertinacious
• unmanageable
• undisciplined
• inflexible
• wrongheaded
• impudent
• disorderly
• immovable
• adamantine
• perverse
• errant
• monkeying
• insolent
• disrespectful
• fractious
• inconsiderate
• ornery
• ungracious
• discourteous
• nonconformist
• impertinent
• uncivil
• uncouth
• impolite
• unmannerly
• misbehaving
• ill-mannered
• ill-natured
• ill-bred
• monkeyish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obedient
• docile
• submissive
• compliant
• cooperative
• amenable
• amiable
• tractable
• deferential
• acquiescent
• agreeable
• conformable
• disciplined
• biddable
• well-bred
• respectful
• courteous
• yielding
• behaved
• polite
• obliging
• servile
• slavish
• obsequious
• ruly
• subservient
• orderly
• proper
• decorous
• manageable
• controllable
• mannerly
• trainable
• kowtowing
• governable

2

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others

finally the parents sought professional counseling for the willful child

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stubborn
• uncontrollable
• headstrong
• rebellious
• wayward
• unmanageable
• unruly
• intractable
• recalcitrant
• out of hand
• refractory
• ungovernable
• difficult
• naughty
• obstinate
• incontrollable
• incorrigible
• untoward
• froward
• intransigent
• undisciplined
• obdurate
• mulish
• uncontrolled
• pigheaded
• opinionated
• self-willed
• hardheaded
• bullheaded
• perverse
• unpunished
• irrepressible
• contrary
• boisterous
• wild
• rambunctious
• stiff
• disobedient
• rowdy
• insubordinate
• stiff-necked
• indocile
• misbehaving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• manageable
• tractable
• obedient
• controllable
• docile
• submissive
• compliant
• willing
• pliable
• responsive
• governable
• well-behaved
• reasonable
• accepting
• yielding
• receptive
• placable
• temperate
• trainable
• persuadable

3

as in arbitrary

having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity

a willful disregard for the rights of others

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arbitrary
• arrogant
• unreasonable
• authoritarian
• unfair
• inconsistent
• domineering
• imperious
• dominant
• dictatorial
• high-handed
• peremptory
• unjust
• haughty
• totalitarian
• commanding
• whimsical
• capricious
• overbearing
• presumptuous
• tyrannical
• despotic
• partisan
• unscrupulous
• autocratic
• unequal
• demanding
• erratic
• unprincipled
• imperative
• masterful
• inequitable
• mercurial
• biased
• changeable
• unrealistic
• unethical
• unconscionable
• tyrannous
• lordly
• prejudiced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disinterested
• equitable
• equal
• reasonable
• impartial
• fair
• dispassionate
• balanced
• objective
• just
• evenhanded
• rational
• nonpartisan
• understanding
• moral
• unprejudiced
• unbiased
• honorable
• ethical
• principled
• irreproachable
• unimpeachable
• law-abiding

4

as in deliberate

made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing

a willful attempt to cheat her siblings out of their rightful inheritance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deliberate
• conscious
• voluntary
• intentional
• willed
• intended
• purposeful
• purposive
• knowing
• calculated
• planned
• witting
• thoughtful
• reasoned
• designed
• premeditated
• set
• optional
• considered
• advised
• discretionary
• elective
• weighed
• volunteer
• studied
• measured
• premeditative
• prepense

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

5

as in adamant

sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion

the kind of willful person who can never bring himself to admit that he made a mistake

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stubborn
• adamant
• steadfast
• obstinate
• hardened
• headstrong
• obsessive
• implacable
• unrelenting
• bullheaded
• uncompromising
• intransigent
• obdurate
• opinionated
• mulish
• hardheaded
• unyielding
• pigheaded
• self-willed
• dogged
• unbending
• pertinacious
• perverse
• inflexible
• persistent
• adamantine
• immovable
• hard
• determined
• pat
• relentless
• strict
• hard-nosed
• ossified
• stiff-necked
• inconvincible
• self-opinionated
• tenacious
• defiant
• wayward
• inexorable
• severe
• deaf to reason
• wrongheaded
• unflinching
• contumacious
• stern
• rigid
• disobedient
• cantankerous
• resolved
• iron
• stouthearted
• single-minded
• narrow-minded
• hard-line
• indomitable
• uncooperative
• unruly
• bloody-minded
• mutinous
• unmanageable
• insubordinate
• intractable
• recalcitrant
• hidebound
• firm
• contrary
• invincible
• anal-retentive
• unconquerable
• inveterate
• hard-shell
• ungovernable
• refractory
• hell-bent
• froward
• exacting
• insurgent
• unregenerate
• set
• confirmed
• cussed
• demanding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• compliant
• flexible
• amenable
• acquiescent
• complying
• agreeable
• obedient
• docile
• pliable
• submissive
• pliant
• yielding
• willing
• tractable
• responsive
• reasonable
• accepting
• receptive
• manageable
• relenting
• placable
• slavish
• temperate
• subservient
• persuadable
• governable

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective willful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of willful are headstrong, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, ungovernable, and unruly. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

When can headstrong be used instead of willful?

Although the words headstrong and willful have much in common, headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

When would intractable be a good substitute for willful?

The words intractable and willful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

When is recalcitrant a more appropriate choice than willful?

While in some cases nearly identical to willful, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

Where would refractory be a reasonable alternative to willful?

While the synonyms refractory and willful are close in meaning, refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

When is it sensible to use ungovernable instead of willful?

The synonyms ungovernable and willful are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When might unruly be a better fit than willful?

In some situations, the words unruly and willful are roughly equivalent. However, unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of willful

In the case of a willful failure to comply with the law, the company can be liable for actual or statutory damages and punitive damages. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026

And pretending otherwise required a willful denial of the facts. — Mike Nelson, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Federal law generally prohibits direct service connection for addiction classified as resulting from willful misconduct. — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 June 2026

His clippings included reporting on Black students facing higher rates of suspension for willful defiance and a cover story on Oak Park residents who offered a history of the neighborhood. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2026