willfulness

noun

Definition of willfulnessnext
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

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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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for willfulness
  1. rebellion
  2. persistence
  3. defiance
  4. obstinacy
  5. disobedience
  6. persistency
  7. intransigence
  8. obduracy
Noun
  • There are no major qualifications, but members of Congress and certain other office-holders are barred from participating, along with anyone who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion.
    Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Sofia’s haircut is an early sign of her rebellion; a shaggy mullet that calls back to Jane Fonda in the 1970s thriller Klute.
    Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Experts pin our collective fascination on the usual suspects: selfie culture, the persistence of Zoom, and the popularization of procedures aimed at improving the geometry of our jawlines.
    Jolene Edgar, Allure, 20 Nov. 2024
  • The persistence of elevated price levels amid slowing inflation may explain why consumers remain relatively dour about the economy, Jeffrey Frankel, an economist at Harvard University, told ABC News.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of persistence
Noun
  • The federal government has claimed sole jurisdiction to enforce immigration laws, so the enforcement provisions in Proposition 314 are in open defiance of the federal government.
    Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Although security forces violently ended the protests, since Amini’s death Iranian women and girls have at times removed their headscarves in public in defiance, and others around the world have joined in solidarity.
    Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • 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
  • Odenkirk was one of several perfectly cast actors in the episode, a force capable of matching Bernthal’s intensity and obstinacy.
    Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024
Definition of obstinacy
Noun
  • The disobedience that led to Braun’s removal from that gym might’ve been a trait that needed maturation, but the underlying swagger and cockiness are essential to what his current coach, Michael Malone, wants from him.
    Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2024
  • Whistle-blowing, by contrast, is closer to deliberate disobedience on the battlefield.
    Michael Walzer, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Definition of disobedience
Noun
  • The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.
    Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 2 May 2023
  • Dan recalled of his daughter’s persistency.
    Eric Sondheimer Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2020
Definition of persistency
Noun
  • The predictably tepid response to their plans in Ukraine and the West also fits into narratives of Western intransigence, a key Russian talking point, as if the West that (allegedly) caused the war in the first place is prolonging and exploiting it to weaken Russia.
    Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
  • What preoccupies her, and other fair-election advocates, is the possibility that the intransigence of a small number of election officials could cause confusion, strife, and possibly violence once the polls close on November 5th.
    Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of intransigence
Noun
  • Related: ‘Neglected diseases’ are anything but neglected by the billion-plus people living with them One possible reason for this obduracy is that noma begins as a dental disease, and dental diseases have long been underappreciated global health concerns.
    John Button, STAT, 16 Dec. 2023
  • Andreas blames the obduracy of U.S. politicians and bureaucrats for the persistence of the drug wars, despite their evident failure and their huge financial and human costs.
    Russell Crandall, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Definition of obduracy
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near willfulness

willfully

willfulness

willies

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Cite this Entry

“Willfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willfulness. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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