WILLFULNESS Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

willfulness

noun

Definition of willfulness

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

as in rebellion

refusal to obey the trainer was able to correct our dog's willfulness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness

Noun

The calendar may say September, but just remember, a combination of stubbornness, denial, and determination can keep the summer feeling alive for yet a few more weeks.

— Andrew Joseph, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
The determination – or stubbornness – to play through the blisters and sores is an example of what makes Scheffler such a great competitor and the mental strength required to be one of the best golfers in the world.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of stubbornness

Noun

During the Sengoku period, clan leader Isshin Ashina leads a successful rebellion against the rulers to secure Ashina’s independence.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
According to a recent paper by the French Institute of International Relations, the SAF and its supporters claim to be putting down an armed rebellion as Sudan’s legitimate government.

— Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebellion

Noun

Security teams should prioritize execution paths where code can access secrets, create persistence or make system changes, then apply pre-execution controls that can stop or constrain artifacts when their behavior falls outside policy.

— Ken Ammon, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Hoban says she’s learned that bringing the vintage toys back to life often requires patience, persistence and a little imagination.

— Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of persistence

Noun

Appointments to Iran’s senior security leadership in the past month, however, have signaled Tehran’s defiance after weathering decades of sanctions.

— David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Even in that moment of defiance, though, he is drawn back toward his actual father.

— Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of defiance

Noun

Starmer’s realism—or obstinacy, depending on your point of view—had seen off an immediate challenge.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
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.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026

Definition of obstinacy

Noun

Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.

— Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.

— Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

Definition of rebelliousness

Noun

This requires yielding – surrendering self-will, fear, and human outlining – to the pure activity of Christ within consciousness.

— Larissa Snorek, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2025
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

Definition of self-will

Noun

Another child said he was forced to carry out artillery strikes and beaten for disobedience.

— Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
But many Catholics, including conservative and traditional ones, are opposed to the consecrations, viewing them as an act of severe disobedience to the pope that hurts the church.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026

Definition of disobedience

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“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of willfulness

noun

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