WILFUL Synonyms: 314 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

willful

adjective

ˈwil-fəl

variants or wilful

Definition of willful

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control a particularly willful horse that took weeks to break to saddle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others finally the parents sought professional counseling for the willful child

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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

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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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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 willful Decline tends to set in when willful stasis coincides with the rise of a rival more committed to pioneering. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026 On Thursday, attorneys from Jablonska's estate were trying to get access to Stevenson's financial records for the civil case, and were seeking to amend their wrongful death lawsuit to allege willful and wanton conduct and pursue punitive damages. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Taylor was later found in willful contempt for violating their divorce terms and ordered to pay $70,000 to cover Shumpert’s legal fees. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Within this literature, no decade is more doom-laden than the nineteen-thirties, when misguided hope and willful blindness led the world’s democracies to grossly underestimate the threat of Fascism. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for willful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful

Adjective

With its choppy layers, tousled texture, and extra length at the nape, this wolf cut brought a rebellious twist to her usual regal aesthetic.

— Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026
The selection also features Dutch director Sabine Lubbe Bakker’s Premier Souffle, exploring whether a rebellious outsider can find her place in the world after years of isolation from her community.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebellious

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

Federal prosecutors accuse Maduro and Flores of directing a campaign of political repression involving brutal interrogations, arbitrary detentions and the mistreatment of prisoners.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
On October 9, 2026, a federal district court ruled that the policy exceeds the Justice Department's authority, is arbitrary and capricious, and violates federal law.

— Eric McDaniel, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

This includes deliberate misuse by bad actors for cyberattacks, and also situations where humans lose control of advanced AI systems.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
The reality is that this effect was a deliberate design choice to soften the edges of the villa and smooth out its different volumes.

— Francesca Longoni, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of deliberate

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

Adjective

De la Espriella suspended peace talks with Colombia’s remaining rebel groups after taking office in August, and launched a security strategy prioritizing military pressure.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Since 2017, about 1,500 Russian mercenaries, known as the Africa Corps, have been sent to bolster the Central African Republic regime of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra against attacks by a coalition of rebel groups.

— Matthew Bell, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

For a time the sea stars did double duty controlling the urchins, but in recent years they have been struck down by an uncontrollable plague, worsened by the state’s warming waters, called, quite literally, sea star wasting disease.

— Joseph Ogilvy, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
While some stress factors are uncontrollable, workplace stress directly hurts productivity.

— Jon Lowe, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncontrollable

Adjective

Using an acronym meant for minor zoning squabbles against resistance to a massive, 80 mph express train slicing through dense residential blocks is an arrogant posture that completely obscures the true nature of this unconscionable project.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Steve Buscemi as Harry’s regular fence; Tatiana Maslany as his estranged daughter; and Will Price as the arrogant, heat-packing scion of a Manhattan crime family also star.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrogant

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

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