willpower

noun

ˈwil-ˌpau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce willpower (audio)
Definition of willpowernext
as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions trying to summon the willpower to resist buying any more books before finishing the unread ones I already have

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of willpower And with the addiction treatment centers that accept Medicaid patients overbooked, Pugh has had to rely on willpower to avoid drinking. — Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026 Acting on a risk assessment before that risk has materialized requires political willpower; just having better data, or even better analyses, doesn’t wholly solve that problem. — Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 Know When to Scale Back Hot-weather exercise isn’t a test of willpower. — Jakob Roze, Health, 28 July 2026 Forget cookies or ice cream—put me within arm’s reach of a bag of salty, fried, starchy goodness and all my willpower disappears. — Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for willpower
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willpower
  1. restraint
  2. self-control
Noun
  • If the answer is yes, then waiting ceases to be a strategy of restraint and begins to look like gradual erosion of power and strength.
    — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Meghna Gulzar has a very distinctive voice and an ability to approach difficult subjects with both restraint and intensity.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of restraint
Noun
  • The Greeks had a word for this The Greeks did not just casually worry about self-control.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Playing tug-of-war can also help your dog develop better eye-mouth coordination, build confidence and learn self-control.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of self-control

Browse Nearby Words

willowy
willpower
wills
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Cite this Entry

“Willpower.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willpower. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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