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
-
What may have seemed like a lighthearted act of rebellion struck a chord with many disillusioned job seekers, fed up with outdated hiring practices and a job market increasingly filtered through artificial intelligence.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Apr. 2025 -
Tariffs meet South Korean domestic turmoil The tariff upheaval comes at an inopportune time as former President Yoon Suk Yeol stands in court to face charges of rebellion over his institution of martial law in December.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This late-career emergence as an elite quarterback demonstrated both Gannon's persistence and the impact of finally finding the right organizational fit.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Such persistence can pay off in the long run: civil society groups in Bangladesh, South Africa, and Sri Lanka eventually chased out corrupt politicians.—
Elizabeth David-Barrett,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
And yet, the core of the brand—the audacity, the punk defiance, the challenge to authority—remains intact.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
His passing closes a chapter on one of the most notorious sagas in internet history, leaving behind a complex legacy of entrepreneurship, controversy, and defiance.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
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
-
Outright disobedience is exceedingly rare.—
Hurubie Meko,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 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 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
Noun
-
But on the contrary, these four have been among the most supportive of PURA’s intransigence.—
Brian Harrell,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Given deepening American intransigence and increasing demand from Ukraine, would Turkey put the SAGE 227 into production on Ukraine’s behalf?—
David Axe,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share