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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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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According to Packer, several surefire ways to ensure success start here: Be arrogant!—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
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In 1254, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile were married at a very young age, and although Edward had a reputation for being arrogant and quarrelsome, the pair eventually fell deeply in love.—
Gulnaz Khan,
AFAR Media,
13 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 site of bitter urban fighting for much of last year, including the deliberate demolition of towering highrises by both sides, Toretsk—or what was left of it—fell to Russian forces in early February.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Still facing a stubborn staffing crunch, the New York City Department of Correction will require officers to work mandatory 12-hour tours in a number of city jails, a move immediately criticized by their union.—
Graham Rayman,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
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Fiscal and monetary policy are walking a tightrope between weak real growth and stubborn inflation.—
William Pesek,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That’s a defiant stance for a horror movie to take.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
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Pierce answered all of them in resounding, almost defiant, fashion.—
James Boyd,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 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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Anyone who’s ever thrown a pitch or swung a bat knows that the umpire decides in the end — and those decisions have felt arbitrary and highly personal at times.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
23 Feb. 2025
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Misinformation surrounding the new law has led to a resurgence of the narrative that white South Africans—especially farmers—are facing an orchestrated campaign of genocide through arbitrary land grabs.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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