adjective
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self-willed; obstinate
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(of an action) heedless; rash
Related Words
See willful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of headstrong
First recorded in 1350–1400, headstrong is from the Middle English word heedstronge. See head, strong
Explanation
Headstrong describes something that's disobedient or willful. If you're headstrong, you want to do what you want to do. When you refuse to complete your homework because you want to watch a football game, you're being headstrong. A closer look at the word headstrong can give you a hint to its meaning — the combination of the words head and strong. You're determined to have your own way because you have a strong belief that your view — what you have in your head — is the best one. Being a headstrong person is not always a bad thing. Sometimes headstrong people make history because they fight traditional values or outdated rules that need to be changed.
Vocabulary lists containing headstrong
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Resistance is Futile: Synonyms for "Stubborn"
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Headstrong, queer and disinterested in Victorian pieties, she escaped her smothering Indianapolis family and headed to Chicago, where she hustled work as a bookseller and book reviewer.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
Headstrong and ambitious, she "was a beacon of hope for many young people, especially women", a statement from Deputy President Paul Mashatile said.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2025
Elena started a “Female Marines United” campaign to raise money for Headstrong, which provides mental health support to military members.
From Washington Post • Nov. 2, 2017
Zach Iscol is the executive director of the Headstrong project, a nonprofit provider of mental-health care for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
From New York Times • May 26, 2017
Piero was a coarse-minded, pleasure-loving youth—"The Headstrong" his father had called him—whose one idea of power was to be sensual and tyrannical; and the enemies of Florence and of Italy took advantage of this fact.
From A Wanderer in Florence by Lucas, E. V. (Edward Verrall)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
