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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
finally the parents sought professional counseling for the willful child
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrogant
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in stubborn
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of willful
Although Sagoo will likely be appealed, taxpayers with willful FBAR penalties should watch the decision carefully to determine whether the same arguments may be raised in their cases.
—
Matthew L. Roberts, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Maybe this willful disregard for someone’s wishes, particularly about their home, is part of some larger family dynamic.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025
At this point in its history, the theory goes, the United States requires a willful and largely unaccountable power to impose changes that leaders with more delicate sensibilities and procedural scruples cannot ever accomplish.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
The result is a book of willful delirium, one that deconstructs its own narrative.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Matthew L. Roberts, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Maybe this willful disregard for someone’s wishes, particularly about their home, is part of some larger family dynamic.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025
At this point in its history, the theory goes, the United States requires a willful and largely unaccountable power to impose changes that leaders with more delicate sensibilities and procedural scruples cannot ever accomplish.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
The result is a book of willful delirium, one that deconstructs its own narrative.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful
Adjective
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There's just something so irresistible about the lace-up flat with its air of rebellious discipline.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
12 Oct. 2025
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Singer Kelis has always been rebellious and non-conforming.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That revelation—learning that uncontrollable crying wasn’t her personality but neurological damage—became another layer of self-compassion.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
10 Oct. 2025
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These friends act as social insurance systems for each other, helping each other when needs arise because of unpredictable and uncontrollable events.—
Athena Aktipis,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Jackson returns as Wes Bryant, a handsome, intelligent, but arrogant man who had just moved to Seattle and was revealed to be a new medical intern at Grey Sloan.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
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Jack Cutmore-Scott as Julius Beaufort, an arrogant new money banker at the center of New York society with an interest in Ellen.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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War would also mean no deliberate, orderly transfer of some 12,000 Islamic State detainees from Kurdish to Syrian state prisons.—
Hassan Hassan,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
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Hints of unease momentarily heightened as the Spartans — deliberate and layered — went to work.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These two ingredients mixed together creates a powerful mixture perfect for lifting stubborn stains off grout because of their high cleaning and brightening properties.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
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Scientists have discovered a cleaner, faster way to recycle one of the world’s most stubborn plastics, not with heat or chemicals, but with sheer mechanical force.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Kurt Caz, a white South African social-media star with millions of followers across platforms, first gained popularity through filming his defiant tours of dangerous neighborhoods in countries such as Venezuela and Kenya.—
T. M. Brown,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
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In a defiant address to the nation on Monday night, Rajoelina said that he had been forced to move to a safe place because of threats to his life.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In very opinionated remarks, Brunello Cucinelli sent a positive message to his company’s partners in the audience.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
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Hamlin is the uber-talented and equally opinionated elder statesman of the NASCAR Cup Series.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Beeber said speed limits on highways are arbitrary to some extent given their design.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
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What To Know On October 7, 2025, the State Department reaffirmed Level 2 travel advisories for both the Maldives and Equatorial Guinea, but expanded the risk profile for Equatorial Guinea, adding fresh warnings regarding arbitrary law enforcement.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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