headstrong

[ hed-strawng, -strong ]

adjective

1. determined to have one's own way; willful; stubborn; obstinate:

   a headstrong young man.

   Antonyms: docile, tractable

2. proceeding from or exhibiting willfulness:

   a headstrong course.

headstrong

/ ˈhɛdˌstrɒŋ /

adjective

1. self-willed; obstinate
2. (of an action) heedless; rash

Derived Forms

• ˈheadˌstrongly, adverb
• ˈheadˌstrongness, noun

Other Words From

• headstrongly adverb
• headstrongness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of headstrong¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, headstrong is from the Middle English word heedstronge. See head, strong

Synonym Study

See willful.

Example Sentences

Logan Lerman and Joey King play two key family members, Addy, a young man on the cusp of a successful composing career, and his headstrong sister Halina, respectively.

From Los Angeles Times

As heroines go, she is a young Katharine Hepburn type: headstrong and outspoken but eagerly in search of tenderness.

From New York Times

Nancy Neveloff Dubler, a medical ethicist who pioneered using mediation at hospital bedsides to navigate the complex dynamics among headstrong doctors, anguished family members and patients in their last days, died on April 14 at her home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

From New York Times

Moon’s confident performance — smoky voice, headstrong attitude, gestural dance moves — has caught the attention of critics.

From New York Times

He’s very headstrong and very, very sure about himself, about what he was doing.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• impulsive