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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of willful
Djuna Bostick, 59, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse by a willful act or omission causing serious bodily injury, according to the Hamlet Police Department.
—
Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2025
Rahman pleaded guilty on January 17 to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified national defense information in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Cruz was the fourth of her parents’ eight children and willful from a young age.
—Rebecca Grant
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
Importantly, and unlike the ICA, willful violations of the ADA can incur criminal penalties.
—Doug Criscitello, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2025
Rahman pleaded guilty on January 17 to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified national defense information in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Cruz was the fourth of her parents’ eight children and willful from a young age.
—Rebecca Grant
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
Importantly, and unlike the ICA, willful violations of the ADA can incur criminal penalties.
—Doug Criscitello, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful
Adjective
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From director James DeMonaco, creator of The Purge franchise, actor-comedian Davidson plays Max in The Home, a rebellious twenty-something sentenced to community service at a quiet retirement home.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 July 2025
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The story follows rebellious young demigod Ne Zha, who wrestles with his powers and the threat of humanity’s destruction.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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These arachnids suck juices from the tomato plants and seemingly all of a sudden build large uncontrollable populations.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
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Despite months of meticulous planning, there will always be uncontrollable variables that require monitoring..—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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In 2022, Ackles joined the cast of Prime Video's The Boys as arrogant superhero Soldier Boy.—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
4 July 2025
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Her larger-than-life ego and past as a shaman make Player 044 come off as arrogant and selfish, getting under just about everyone's skin.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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The Great Replacement is a white nationalist conspiracy theory that claims there's a deliberate plot to replace white Americans with non-white immigrants through immigration and higher birth rates.—
Philippa Pham Hughes,
Time,
11 July 2025
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As Well As Talent In addition to local hiring and open-source opportunities, deliberate investment must be made in infrastructure, policy and support systems.—
Daniel Jebaraj,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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One of the people that is most stubborn in their support of these spendy projects is Senator Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana.—
Roger Valdez,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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For indoor brick, keep it simple by trying a slightly damp brush to sweep away stubborn dirt.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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On Monday, asked about the poll proposal at an unrelated event, Adams was defiant.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
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Trump's defiant response in Butler, Penn., may have fueled his big Election Day gains among male voters.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Rhea Perlman and Rita Wilson appear as Jess’ highly opinionated, codependent mother and grandmother.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
8 July 2025
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The show premiered Saturday, April 12, and follows three successful Black men on a quest for love—each with a very opinionated mother (or mother figure) tagging along for the entire ride.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These seemingly arbitrary small items are essentially sweeteners to win over lawmakers who might quibble with the broader thrust of the legislation.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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Regardless, the court continues to find that the government's actions were arbitrary and capricious, in part because the government never bothered to define the problems that would get a grant canceled.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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