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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of willfulness
While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.
—
Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
Noun
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Weaponized stubbornness Scoring is a straightforward concept, but success in this realm evaded Florida Saturday night.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
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Playing the character, much like Alicent Hightower in her stubbornness and strength, has been something of a purifying experience for Cooke.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Kirk's assassination is the most high-profile example yet of what extremism researchers at the NCRI see as an increasingly dangerous normalization of political violence—often masked as satire, rebellion, or dark humor online.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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One accommodation, the Rebel Suite, takes its design cues from the sea rebellions of Islay, full of nautical references, striking patterns, and bold green and blue hues.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Be Relentlessly Persistent My mindset is relentless persistence.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The Bishops’ persistence was rewarded when Maeve Delaney scored off a corner kick, which thrilled the team and head coach Gary Burke.—
Hannah Hughes,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Others including, longtime Sacramento resident Richard Alcala, viewed the festivities as an act of defiance against the current presidential administration.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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In Schorr’s photograph, the duo, played by Julia Garner and Cole Escola, is more ambiguous, more gender-flouting, projecting an air of affectionate defiance.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The left’s obstinacy may carry a heavy political price.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
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The collapse of 2023 was partly rooted in offensive obstinacy, stagnation and decline.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
Noun
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This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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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
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So for those of us torn between watching the sun get blotted out and getting blotto keeping our attention on a particularly good rock show, this exercise in multi-tasking was a real contest of self-will.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Many individuals remain out of necessity, not due to willful disobedience , but because of sudden changes in personal or political circumstances—including armed conflict, economic collapse, or family emergencies.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Thanks to that act of disobedience, the document is now preserved at Fort Ligonier.—
Aurora Martínez,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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