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
As leaders of the lo-fi indie rock sound, the musicians remained something of a secret passed among fans, their air of willful inscrutability, ambivalence toward conventional success and general irreverence inspiring a dedicated faithful that has only grown over the years.
—
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
Reasonable limits on liability • Exclusions for gross negligence or willful misconduct
Tip: Always read these clauses carefully and ask your attorney to explain them in plain English.
—Stephen Nalley, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
The trio seems to have little in common, and the willful misunderstanding and petty tone-policing by Serge and Marc are relentless.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
Rather than attempt a feeble defense of himself, Nick attacks June for the same willful ignorance her mother accused her of in Alaska.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
Reasonable limits on liability • Exclusions for gross negligence or willful misconduct
Tip: Always read these clauses carefully and ask your attorney to explain them in plain English.
—Stephen Nalley, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
The trio seems to have little in common, and the willful misunderstanding and petty tone-policing by Serge and Marc are relentless.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
Rather than attempt a feeble defense of himself, Nick attacks June for the same willful ignorance her mother accused her of in Alaska.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful
Adjective
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These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux.—
Jessica Dupuy,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Paul finds himself in a work crisis that puts the lifestyle of Julie and their rebellious son Russ (Simon Webster) in jeopardy, leading Julie back to the dopey sweetness of Carey.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Research shows that people under stress are more likely to give up, but only when the situation feels uncontrollable.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Entire neighborhoods are retrofitted with clear glass domes that activate during extreme rainstorms and uncontrollable wildfires.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
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By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Cannes got its own cliff-hanger ending on Saturday, the final day of the 78th film festival, when a power outage, apparently caused by deliberate sabotage, shut down the power grid serving the city and much of the surrounding region.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
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Cutting off supplies was part of a deliberate tactic by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to destroy Hamas, which perpetrated the October 2023 attack against Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than 250 men, women, and children hostage.—
Anna Mulrine Grobe,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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When tragedy strikes on Michigan roads—when a car skids off an icy bend or a semi-truck barrels through a red light—victims are often left to face not only devastating injuries but also a daunting legal maze of corporate denials and stubborn insurers.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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Get The Recipe Smart Move Similar recipes with beans and peas existed before then, but a challenge made to a stubborn chef named Helen Corbitt spurred the creation of Texas caviar.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Bowser’s shifting response on immigration matters is one of a number of ways the mayor, a leading figure in the Democratic resistance during Trump’s first term, is now striking a less defiant tone.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
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Moxley took out Nightingale to massive heat, and Omega hit a snap-dragon suplex on a defiant Marina Shafir.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Known for his bold and opinionated nature, his silence raised eyebrows and fueled speculation.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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My mom was funny, opinionated and unapologetically herself.—
Erica Reitman,
People.com,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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But Laxe’s cadence of death is nasty and arbitrary and delightful.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
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These bills would formalize what the Parole Board should already be doing and therefore limit arbitrary rejections.—
Julia Salazar,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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