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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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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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
Ver admitted that his understatement of tax on his 2014 return was willful.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Miller was charged with domestic abuse assault, willful injury and kidnapping, according to the sheriff.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
His Fassbender-on-Fassbender exchanges with his more willful ancestor David are the richest part of the film.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Although Sagoo will likely be appealed, taxpayers with willful FBAR penalties should watch the decision carefully to determine whether the same arguments may be raised in their cases.
—Matthew L. Roberts, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Miller was charged with domestic abuse assault, willful injury and kidnapping, according to the sheriff.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
His Fassbender-on-Fassbender exchanges with his more willful ancestor David are the richest part of the film.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Although Sagoo will likely be appealed, taxpayers with willful FBAR penalties should watch the decision carefully to determine whether the same arguments may be raised in their cases.
—Matthew L. Roberts, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willful
Adjective
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According to the researchers, teenage men tend to favor intense, rebellious genres that fuel identity and independence in a phase that peaks early.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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But the couple have yet to conceive an heir, so when Jerome absconds and his dashing friend Manfred (Galitzine) arrives with dastardly intentions, Hero (Corrin), Cherry’s wily and loyal maid, is forced to concoct a plan to distract Manfred by telling captivating stories about rebellious women.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What’s curious, then, is not Trump’s eagerness to degrade us, but his uncontrollable urge to defile himself and his office.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
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When he was hired, Hazimeh told supervisors he had been diagnosed with anxiety, resulting in an uncontrollable nervous tic.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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Elsewhere, the details lifted from the book suffer in translation – Branagh’s Victor is appropriately arrogant but not adequately tortured; De Niro’s Monster is sensitive and intuitive, but drowns in the film’s hurried, hollow second half.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The tactic, analysts say, is deliberate – part of a broader effort to wear down Taiwan’s air force, degrade equipment and exhaust Taiwan’s personnel.—
Eryk Michael Smith,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Every detail feels deliberate yet easy and unforced.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Month over month, that would be the same stubborn pace that has persisted for more than two years.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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Results show that microbial iron mining can immobilize toxic metals and convert stubborn pollutants into less harmful compounds.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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On Monday afternoon, Petro remained defiant.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
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This Irish American neighborhood is famous for its quirky upside-down traffic light, where green proudly sits above red—a symbol of its defiant community spirit.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Social media, in Tranter’s view, had been overrun by music listeners (especially gay ones) acting a little too opinionated.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
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With its quarterly earnings report due in next week, Wall Street is eager to see if Tesla — or its famously opinionated CEO Elon Musk — will report similar challenges as its competitors.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Several lawsuits have already been filed challenging the fee and selection changes, with universities, labor groups, and business organizations arguing that the administration exceeded its authority and that the new rules are arbitrary.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Not every such deprivation becomes a literal matter of life and death as in the play, but making use of such scenarios enables Shakespeare to highlight more effectively the danger of arbitrary action.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willful. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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