1
as in stubbornness
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
her unceasing willfulness eventually wore down her critics and opponents
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
the trainer was able to correct our dog's willfulness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of willfulness
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
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
—Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Christian Science doesn’t demand blind faith and willfulness but a willingness to surrender to this higher truth.
—Matthew Schmidt, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jan. 2025
David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
—Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Christian Science doesn’t demand blind faith and willfulness but a willingness to surrender to this higher truth.
—Matthew Schmidt, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
Noun
-
Still, tension rises when your need for reassurance clashes with pride or stubbornness.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
-
Letter writer worries mom’s stubbornness will limit visits just as parents are aging.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The rebellion stems from Labor’s heavy losses in local elections last week and widespread party frustration over Starmer’s leadership, stagnant economic growth and failure to deliver on campaign promises.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
On the internet, masculinism is presented as a rebellion—a transgressive middle finger to the liberal establishment, expressed in all the words a corporate HR department would order you not to say.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The thesis, as Zidni frames it, is that Indonesian cinema’s next phase cannot rely on individual producers’ persistence.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
That sustained workplace exposure and relationship based learning environments strengthen college persistence and long term economic mobility outcomes.—
Kelby Woodard,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
His campaign is built around an appeal to mainstream Republicans, swing voters and old-school conservatives who see his defiance of Trump in 2020 as a mark of independence rather than betrayal.—
Joe Kovac,
AJC.com,
12 May 2026
-
Despite that effort, Hoskins and other Republican statewide officials enacted the map in defiance of decades of precedent.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The White House does not seem to have a workaround to Putin’s obstinacy, and Rubio told Hannity that all other parties seeking to end the conflict are hopeless.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Feb. 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
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
On Wednesday, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion while waving Ukrainian flags and calling for disobedience.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 May 2026
-
Fernando Melo Flores, a 40-year-old Irvine resident, was charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography, one felony count of unauthorized computer access, and one misdemeanor count of willful disobedience of a court order.—
Ryanne Mena,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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