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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
Noun
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After leading some of his fellow players in an uprising against the games, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) sees his rebellion instantly squashed.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 May 2025 -
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is waiting for the weekend to join the rebellion.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
Noun
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Matt Cardona remains one of the best stories of persistence and dedication in professional wrestling.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Her power, patience and persistence show up all over the stat sheet.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
Noun
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That record of defiance in the face of threats to his freedom and safety alone would be astonishing, but the work itself, shot in secret, has also been fascinating — slippery, introspective, daring, and unbearably moving.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
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Despite his public defiance, the court’s ruling marks a significant financial and legal defeat for the rapper, as the sale of his home is expected to partially satisfy the judgment against him.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
Campbell’s thirst to learn protected him from obstinacy.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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But as Nicky expands his interests and each man gains power, their lives become entangled in a story of hot temples, obstinacy, money, love and deception.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2025
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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In 2016, a British passenger flying Flybe—a now-defunct regional airline—from Amsterdam to Exeter was fined more than $600 for his disobedience.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2025
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The one who escalated the disobedience was the company under the direct command of its largest shareholder.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
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The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Manhattan court countermanded the intransigence of the court stenographers and directed the daily publication of the Trump transcripts on a court website.—
Nick Akerman,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2025
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Three European diplomatic sources told Reuters Rubio's comments reflected growing frustration in the White House over Russian intransigence to end the war.—
Bart H. Meijer and Gabriel Stargardter,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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