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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of willfulness
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.
—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Christian Science doesn’t demand blind faith and willfulness but a willingness to surrender to this higher truth.
—
Matthew Schmidt,
Christian Science Monitor,
21 Jan. 2025
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.
—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Christian Science doesn’t demand blind faith and willfulness but a willingness to surrender to this higher truth.
—
Matthew Schmidt,
Christian Science Monitor,
21 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
Noun
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Archie’s stubbornness is a reflex to his worldview being attacked without first acknowledging his experience.
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There was also Tortorella’s stubbornness in sticking with goalie Carter Hart, who set the wrong type of records in the Stanley Cup Final.
Noun
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Amid a rebellion over the SAVE Act, Johnson lost control of the House floor for a second time this week, sending lawmakers home early for the July Fourth recess.
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These battles have completely receded from the American imagination, even though, in some ways, the American rebellion was a sideshow to a far greater imperial drama.
Noun
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Scientists say that difference in scale and persistence means history does not guarantee a repeat outcome, even as El Niño is expected to strengthen through the fall and add another layer of ocean warming.
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But that persistence and learning became the foundation of my organization.
Noun
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His clippings included reporting on Black students facing higher rates of suspension for willful defiance and a cover story on Oak Park residents who offered a history of the neighborhood.
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One defendant convicted by a jury continues to engage in noisy defiance.
Noun
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Starmer’s realism—or obstinacy, depending on your point of view—had seen off an immediate challenge.
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The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.
Noun
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Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
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The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.
Noun
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This requires yielding – surrendering self-will, fear, and human outlining – to the pure activity of Christ within consciousness.
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But also injuries and ailments at all the wrong times, as well as overt self-will at times.
Noun
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Daemon chastising Ulf and Hugh over their disobedience, sowing the seeds of their discontent.
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The Catholic Church teaches that all other people are conceived with original sin as a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden.
Cite this Entry
“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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