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.
Z, international man of mystery, exists because Oliver willed him into being during a March shoutout on “Last Week Tonight.”
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
He's very strong willed and that's his decision.
From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026
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
We both knew it must be James Halliday’s classic videogame collection—the collection he’d willed to Morrow after his death.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
