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
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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
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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
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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of willful
Each claim can be worth up to $30,000 per work and, with willful infringement, $150,000 per work.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2025
That case related to his willful failure to comply with subpoenas demanding his testimony and records by the House select committee that was investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Trump.
—Adam Reiss,dan Mangan, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025
Gotthard gave Elizabeth the task of controlling the spoiled, willful, and lazy child.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
While the record number of willful, malicious or accidental deaths by firearms peaked in 2021, numbers in 2023 remain higher than averages from nearly 10 years ago.
—Graham P. Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2025
That case related to his willful failure to comply with subpoenas demanding his testimony and records by the House select committee that was investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Trump.
—Adam Reiss,dan Mangan, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025
Gotthard gave Elizabeth the task of controlling the spoiled, willful, and lazy child.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
While the record number of willful, malicious or accidental deaths by firearms peaked in 2021, numbers in 2023 remain higher than averages from nearly 10 years ago.
—Graham P. Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful
Adjective
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Boon will play Eddie Harrigan, Kevin’s rebellious son.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
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In addition, parents who are too strict might even end up with kids who are extra rebellious.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The most dramatic case study occurred this week, when Trump signed two executive orders instituting a tariff regime on goods entering the United States from Canada and Mexico in response to what the White House argues is an uncontrollable scourge of migrants and drugs coming from those countries.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2025
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These high winds, combined with low humidity, have created a significant fire weather risk, with forecasters warning that any ignition could lead to fast-growing, uncontrollable fires.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The actor has one daughter with ex-wife Melanie Griffith and has been dating his girlfriend Nicole Kimpel since 2014. 05 of 09 John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad The actor behind the arrogant Lord Farquaad boasts an impressive career that began decades before Shrek came out in 2001.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
1 Mar. 2025
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Many members of its board appeared arrogant in the face of questions from the prosecutor or one of the lawyers.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This condition is what philosopher Charles Mills, speaking of the American context, labeled epistemological ignorance—a deliberate unknowing, an insistence on the myth of white superiority, of white exceptionalism.—
Christine Winter,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
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The surprise that followed was more insidious: a slow and deliberate betrayal in court.—
Dylan Moore,
National Review,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But four months after becoming the first Republican in two decades to win the popular vote, Trump faces a new reality of needing to tackle some of the most stubborn challenges awaiting any new president and deliver on his campaign promises to lower prices.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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Like this Fire sign, Drizella is unapologetically stubborn and impatience, believing she is entitled to nothing but the best.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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President Donald Trump took a defiant victory lap in the House chamber on Tuesday night, using his address to a joint session of Congress to promote the flurry of drastic changes to domestic and foreign policy that his administration has made in just the first six weeks.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
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Trump, in a defiant victory lap speech lasting roughly 100 minutes, credited his predecessor for high inflation and vowed to bring down the costs of everyday goods while previewing further economic pain from new tariffs.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Water signs may relate closely to wise and opinionated Owl while Earth signs may relate to the reserved and — sometimes gloomy — Eeyore.—
Athena Sobhan,
People.com,
18 Jan. 2025
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Finebaum, a former newspaper columnist who moved to Charlotte in 2013, is its opinionated star.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Eversource is asking the court to overturn a 2023 PURA decision that the company claims was based on an arbitrary application of regulatory law and intended to reach a pre-determined decision to slash its rates.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2025
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Many of those firings have prompted lawsuits parallel to Dellinger’s that challenge the legality of Trump bypassing language in statutes, including provisions that protect employees at independent agencies from politicized or arbitrary firings.—
Ashley Oliver,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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