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
Relevance
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
Noun
-
That small rebellion becomes a bigger one when the course introduces her to a pack of younger friends, including 20something hunk Sean (Nico Hiraga).—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
12 Mar. 2025 -
The series, which premieres its second season April 22 on Disney+, thrusts viewers back into the heart of the galactic rebellion.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That’s the inventor’s playbook: Patience, persistence, and an ambitious plan.—
Stephen Key,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
-
The police initially try to write the deaths off as overdoses, but Mickey’s tenacity and persistence force the department to take a closer look.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The mug shot has become one of the most infamous photos of the president and is a symbol of defiance for both Trump and his supporters.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
-
In response, Trump's administration has launched investigation against four of those states – California, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Maine – over potential Title IX violations for their continued defiance of the order.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Yet, over time, Bashar Assad inherited his father’s obstinacy and brutality and increasingly relied on the security apparatus to maintain control, stifling dissent and curbing opposition.—
Sefa Secen / Made by History,
TIME,
17 Dec. 2024
-
That is the popular girl’s cross to bear, and the desperate obstinacy that comes with this realization is one of Cody’s main themes.—
Rafaela Bassili,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
But also injuries and ailments at all the wrong times, as well as overt self-will at times.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2025
-
So for those of us torn between watching the sun get blotted out and getting blotto keeping our attention on a particularly good rock show, this exercise in multi-tasking was a real contest of self-will.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2024
Noun
-
Alleging disobedience, among other claimed doctrinal infractions, the OCA excommunicated the Homyks and longtime parish council leader Rivera.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Pardons have sometimes been used in the past — in some cases wisely, in others not — to turn the page on divisive episodes of civil disorder and disobedience.—
The Editors,
National Review,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
2 May 2023
Noun
-
Has the president decided his soaring Nielsen ratings are better than a plummeting stock market if there are full-bore tariffs placed on Mexico and Canada because of their intransigence?—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Its conquest became the keystone of Putin’s political legacy, the marker of Russian intransigence vis-à-vis the West, and Putin’s evidence that Russia’s post-Soviet age of humiliation was over.—
Liana Fix,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Dec. 2022
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.
Cite this Entry
“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share