willed
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of willed
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at will 2, -ed 3
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.
On a night when his teammates struggled offensively, Brunson willed the Knicks to the series clinching victory, another gritty come-from-behind victory for a team that has made them a trademark.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
But now as a grizzled veteran, and the oldest player on the Carolina Hurricanes’ roster, Staal has almost single-handedly willed his team to the brink of their first championship in two decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Knowledge of current events, geography, and simple concepts like the law of supply and demand have been crowded out by willed ignorance and motivated reasoning.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
"It is pure intention: if there is chaos, it is authored chaos: if it is ugly, it is designed ugliness; if it is absurd, it is willed absurdity."
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
She willed herself to decipher them the way she would decipher an unfamiliar four-letter word, each symbol lined up one after another.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
