willful

adjective

ˈwil-fəl How to pronounce willful (audio)
variants or wilful
Definition of willfulnext
1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control a particularly willful horse that took weeks to break to saddle

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2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others finally the parents sought professional counseling for the willful child

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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

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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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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

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective willful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of willful are headstrong, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, ungovernable, and unruly. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way.

a willful disregard for the rights of others

When can headstrong be used instead of willful?

Although the words headstrong and willful have much in common, headstrong suggests self-will impatient of restraint, advice, or suggestion.

a headstrong young cavalry officer

When would intractable be a good substitute for willful?

The words intractable and willful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, intractable suggests stubborn resistance to guidance or control.

intractable opponents of the hazardous-waste dump

When is recalcitrant a more appropriate choice than willful?

While in some cases nearly identical to willful, recalcitrant suggests determined resistance to or defiance of authority.

acts of sabotage by a recalcitrant populace

Where would refractory be a reasonable alternative to willful?

While the synonyms refractory and willful are close in meaning, refractory stresses resistance to attempts to manage or to mold.

special schools for refractory children

When is it sensible to use ungovernable instead of willful?

The synonyms ungovernable and willful are sometimes interchangeable, but ungovernable implies either an escape from control or guidance or a state of being unsubdued and incapable of controlling oneself or being controlled by others.

ungovernable rage

When might unruly be a better fit than willful?

In some situations, the words unruly and willful are roughly equivalent. However, unruly implies lack of discipline or incapacity for discipline and often connotes waywardness or turbulence of behavior.

unruly children

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 willful Huger was ultimately charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property. —Liza Esquibias, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025 According to state court records obtained by USA TODAY, Jake Haro was convicted in June 2023 of willful child cruelty for an incident involving another child in the nearby town of Hemet. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025 The father, Jake Haro, previously pleaded guilty to willful cruelty to a child following a 2018 arrest, KABC reported. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025 Jake Haro's history with law enforcement was also previously reported by The Orange County Register, noting that he had been convicted of felony willful child cruelty in June 2023. —Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for willful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful
  1. rebellious
  2. uncontrollable
  3. arrogant
  4. deliberate
  5. stubborn
  6. defiant
  7. opinionated
  8. arbitrary
Adjective
  • The third book in the Luna Sisters series follows the journey to love for the youngest and most rebellious Luna sister, Gabriela.
    — Mia Sosa, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (McGraw) is now 14, a rebellious teenager living under Gemma’s overprotective rules.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • Research by John Gottman and colleagues shows that the most stable couples are those who can repair quickly after a rupture, within three minutes of a conflict, to be precise, so as to pre-emptively stop the conflict from rupturing into an uncontrollable one.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • See a doctor if your bumps do not improve with home care or if the itching is uncontrollable.
    — Carrie Madormo, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of uncontrollable
Adjective
  • Zane played the arrogant Cal Hockley, who was engaged to Jack's love interest, Rose (played by Kate Winslet).
    — Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Hardly seems like enough to cow these arrogant companies into behaving, especially when their business model is so intrinsically tied to hoovering up other people’s information and creative work.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • This reframes usage as deliberate practice rather than digital grazing.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • To this end, instead of complexity, the team showed that deliberate simplification (a minimalist molecule) is the key.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
Definition of deliberate
Adjective
  • Inflation is stubborn, unemployment is rising and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has even confirmed that Gen Z grads just can’t get a break right now.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Clean With Vinegar And Dish Soap Dish soap cuts through grease and grime to make removing stubborn dirt easier.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • The album’s emotional palette fluidly shifts between defiant bravado and glum recognition that the big dream was more than likely to crash and burn.
    — Jesse Adams, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
  • This defiant guy decided to use a huge lumber pile as his roost for days.
    — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of defiant
Adjective
  • With the litigation settlement, there will be no power sharing among a group of diversely opinionated siblings.
    — Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • When opinionated classmate Arthur (Will Price) gripes about how inclusivity has bumped men like him out of the competitive academic ranks, Maggie is quick to clap back.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
Definition of opinionated
Adjective
  • And part of that structure is ensuring that the IRS consistently enforces the code without imposing arbitrary changes on certain taxpayers.
    — Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Both sides have also carried out arbitrary detentions, with SAF interrogating and beating dozens of Christians in 2024 and 2025.
    — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Definition of arbitrary

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Cite this Entry

“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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