Synonyms of willpower

willpower

noun

ˈwil-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

as in restraint

the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions

trying to summon the willpower to resist buying any more books before finishing the unread ones I already have

Synonyms & Similar Words

• restraint
• self-control
• determination
• nerve
• self-discipline
• will
• temperance
• composure
• self-restraint
• self-mastery
• discipline
• confidence
• temperateness
• self-command
• self-government
• self-possession
• continence
• self-containment
• moderation
• assurance
• mastery
• abnegation
• self-denial
• control
• abstention
• self-confidence
• self-abnegation
• avoidance
• abstinence
• sobriety
• forbearance
• moderateness
• soberness
• poise
• equanimity
• coolness
• command
• discretion
• aplomb
• eschewal

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indulgence
• gratification
• overindulgence
• weakness
• intemperance
• failing
• excessiveness
• vice
• feebleness
• self-indulgence
• fault
• shortcoming
• frailty
• demerit
• foible
• intemperateness
• indiscipline
• immoderacy
• unrestraint
• unconstraint
• unreserve
• unreservedness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of willpower

Of course, exercise psychology isn't an exact science and discipline/willpower helps people overcome all kinds of potential barriers. — Matt Parrott, Arkansas Online, 5 July 2026

Nietzsche says somewhere that the illusion of willpower rests on our tendency to identify with the part of our soul that commands, not the part that obeys. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

The inclusion of these and other holistic practices suggests that treatment providers are recognizing that recovery is rarely sustained through willpower alone. — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026

The blockbuster rulings that dominate the news cycle each June are not sudden flashes of judicial willpower. — The Conversation, 24 June 2026