willful

American  

[wil-fuhl] / ˈwɪl fəl /

Or wilful

adjective

1. deliberate, voluntary, or intentional.

   The coroner ruled the death willful murder.

   Synonyms:

   volitional;

2. unreasonably stubborn or headstrong; self-willed.

   Synonyms:

   adamant, obdurate, inflexible, pigheaded, refractory, contrary, intransigent

   Antonyms:

   tractable, obedient

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willful British  

/ ˈwɪlfʊl /

adjective

1. the US spelling of wilful

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Synonym Usage

Willful, headstrong, perverse, wayward refer to one who stubbornly insists upon doing as they please. Willful suggests a stubborn persistence in doing what one wishes, especially in opposition to those whose wishes or commands ought to be respected or obeyed: that willful child who disregarded his parents' advice. One who is headstrong is often foolishly, and sometimes violently, self-willed: reckless and headstrong youths. The perverse person is unreasonably or obstinately intractable or contrary, often with the express intention of being disagreeable: perverse out of sheer spite. Wayward in this sense has the connotation of rash wrongheadedness that gets one into trouble: a reform school for wayward teens.

Other Word Forms

• half-willfulness
  noun
• unwillfulness
  noun
• willfulness
  noun
• half-willful
  adjective
• unwillful
  adjective
• willfully
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of willful

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; Old English wilful “willing”; see will ², -ful

Explanation

Willful means "deliberate" or "stubborn." A child who exhibits willful disobedience knows she is doing something wrong (even if she tries to convince you otherwise). While being full of will, or determination, doesn’t necessarily seem like a bad thing, the word willful is negative in meaning. Use it when someone is behaving in a stubborn or uncooperative manner. To describe someone who possesses dedication or perseverance in a positive sense, consider determined, driven, or decisive — and that’s just the d's!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

willful

Several clubgoers expressed willful ignorance or bemusement, casting blame all around.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

The willful failure to file a tax return is a misdemeanor.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 6, 2026

It reasoned that the willful withholding of the mail goes far beyond “loss” and “miscarriage” and may therefore serve as grounds for a lawsuit.

From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026

Video footage of his killing taken from multiple angles shows this to be a willful lie.

From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2026

All three of them call their mother Mummie, and speak of her with affection and indulgence, as if she’s a bright but willful child who has to be humored.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• conscious
• deliberate
• intentional
• premeditated
• purposeful
• willed