variants
or wilful
1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
a particularly willful horse that took weeks to break to saddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
finally the parents sought professional counseling for the willful child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrogant
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in stubborn
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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
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Recent Examples of willful
Ben Santer, Scientific American, 4 July 2025
That range depends heavily on whether the infringement is deemed willful.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 29 July 2025
The filing argued that the defense's choice of an inadequate extraction method, followed by the return of the phone to the driver, who continued to use it like normal, constituted willful destruction of evidence.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Likewise, Elon Musk, one of the world's most effective transmitters of AGI hype, announced safety assurances that cleverly imply a willful or dangerous AI.
—Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Adjective
This experiment in willful ignorance can only end poorly.
—Ben Santer, Scientific American, 4 July 2025
That range depends heavily on whether the infringement is deemed willful.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 29 July 2025
The filing argued that the defense's choice of an inadequate extraction method, followed by the return of the phone to the driver, who continued to use it like normal, constituted willful destruction of evidence.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Likewise, Elon Musk, one of the world's most effective transmitters of AGI hype, announced safety assurances that cleverly imply a willful or dangerous AI.
—Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful
Adjective
-
The story follows Bárbara, rebellious and broke, who fakes her way into a convent for a private room and some peace—only to find herself on an unexpected spiritual journey.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The town’s rebellious spirit and dreamy beach backdrop attracted a who’s who in music, from Duke Ellington in the 1920s to Led Zeppelin, who skipped Woodstock in 1969 to play the Asbury Park Convention Hall.—
Jen Murphy,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Nothing important happened, but something happened, sort of — something scary and uncontrollable.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Aug. 2025
-
It's been 28 years since the rage virus — a virulent, bloodborne infection that sends its hosts into extreme, uncontrollable rage and states of undead decay — escaped a lab and decimated nearly all of the United Kingdom, now under rigid quarantine.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Depicting Americans as arrogant, loud, boorish and demeaning of other cultures, the term has stuck and is still mentioned 60-plus years later.—
Jenny Peters,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The most radical overhaul of the tax code in our state’s history would require voter approval in November 2026, and that starts by portraying local governments as cartoonishly arrogant, bloated and unaccountable.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
In this environment, Block’s launch of mining hardware and software reads as a deliberate bid to address the industry’s deepest pain points.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Cheeks said that the hotel was designed with a very deliberate strategy in mind: to secure a four-diamond AAA rating, a distinction already held by several of Jamul’s competitors — Sycuan, Viejas and Pala in San Diego County, and Pechanga in Temecula.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For Baxter and the stubborn Scot, this marked, at last, the reality of war’s end.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Here’s the case for Scorpio: Wednesday is suss, secretive, brooding, vengeful and stubborn.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In a world that equates stress with productivity, peace becomes a form of rebellion—and power.—
Jonathan Low,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Call it nostalgia or a rebellion against the clean functionality of minimalism, but romantic, decorative textiles are having a moment.—
Hannah Coates,
Vogue,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In its 56th edition, the photography festival, running until 5th October, embraces the provocatively defiant theme Disobedient Images, under the directorship of Christoph Wiesner.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Even postgrads, navigating early adulthood in a shifting economic landscape, leaned into the aesthetic, dressing with a kind of defiant playfulness that pushed back against the pressure to look older.—
Alexandra Jane,
Essence,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
The new media environment seems more opinionated than ever, yet one old debate—dating to the Reagan administration—has come to the fore.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
-
The famously independent-minded and opinionated showrunner left Los Angeles years ago and now resides at his mammoth 270,000-acre Texas ranch.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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