willfulness

noun

Definition of willfulnessnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rebellion
refusal to obey the trainer was able to correct our dog's willfulness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
  1. stubbornness
  2. rebellion
  3. persistence
  4. defiance
  5. obstinacy
  6. rebelliousness
  7. self-will
  8. disobedience
Noun
  • That iron will could track toward stubbornness and the basketball obsession could turn into tunnel vision.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • Archie’s stubbornness is a reflex to his worldview being attacked without first acknowledging his experience.
    — Alex Rosado, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2026
Definition of stubbornness
Noun
  • Mali has previously faced insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Shakespeare’s description now appears more significant and also helps explain why the Bard’s production of Richard II in February 1601 coincided with the start of the Earl of Essex’s rebellion.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • There’s something so beguiling about the obvious irony of the title, the perplexing insistence of the narrator, and the comic persistence of the ghost.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
  • Maintaining that level of persistence consistently across thousands of leads is operationally difficult for most human teams.
    — Chao-Ping Wu, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of persistence
Noun
  • There was also a vivid sense of defiance in her capacity to bare so much, to sing about her fear of relapse to a crowd of thousands.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • In his view, that defiance forced the GOP to take extreme measures and go it alone.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 12 July 2026
Definition of defiance
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
  • Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of rebelliousness
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
Definition of self-will
Noun
  • But many Catholics, including conservative and traditional ones, are opposed to the consecrations, viewing them as an act of severe disobedience to the pope that hurts the church.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • But many Catholics not in Econe, including conservative and traditional ones, opposed the consecrations as an act of severe disobedience that hurts the church.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of disobedience

Browse Nearby Words

willfully
willfulness
willies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All