Meaning & use
strong-willed people
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Meanings
phraseplural
People who firmly stick to their own decisions and are hard to persuade to change their minds.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; it takes a plural verb, as in 'Strong-willed people often resist advice.'
Patterns
- strong-willed people who do something
- strong-willed people in a group
- be strong-willed people
Strong-willed people rarely change their plans just because friends disagree.
The school is full of strong-willed people who argue their case politely but firmly.
Managing strong-willed people means listening first and giving clear reasons for every rule.
phraseplural
People who refuse to be controlled by others and insist on doing things their own way.
Grammar: Also plural; often used with 'very' or 'extremely' to show a high degree: 'very strong-willed people'.
Patterns
- very strong-willed people
- strong-willed people who refuse to do something
- a group of strong-willed people
Strong-willed people can be difficult teammates, but they are also the ones who keep a project alive.
She grew up among strong-willed people, so she learned early how to defend her own opinion.
Strong-willed people do not simply obey orders; they need to understand why the order matters.
Common combinations
- strong-willed people
- Strong-willed people usually know exactly what they want.
- a strong-willed child
- Their strong-willed child refuses to go to bed without one more story.
- extremely strong-willed
- He is extremely strong-willed and never gives up on a goal.
- strong-willed leader
- A strong-willed leader can push a team through hard times.
- strong-willed personality
- Her strong-willed personality makes her a natural negotiator.
Synonyms and how they differ
- determined
- Describes someone who keeps trying to reach a goal; it stresses effort toward an aim, while 'strong-willed' stresses firmness of will and resistance to pressure.
- stubborn
- Often disapproving: it suggests someone refuses to change even when they are wrong, whereas 'strong-willed' can be neutral or even approving.
- headstrong
- Suggests acting on your own wishes without listening to advice, usually with a critical tone; 'strong-willed' is milder and more neutral.
Opposites
Word family
- strong-willed adjective
- Having a firm will; the adjective form that describes one person or thing.
- willpower noun
- The mental strength to control your own actions and keep going.
- self-willed adjective
- Determined to do what you want, often in a disapproving way.
Commonly confused: strong-willed people or strong willed? strong-willed people or strong-willed person?
strong-willed people vs strong willed
The same phrase written without a hyphen; use hyphens when it comes before a noun ('strong-willed people') and you may leave them out after a verb ('she is strong willed').
strong-willed people vs strong-willed person
The singular form refers to one individual; use 'people' only when you mean more than one.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Strong-willed people' is plural, so the verb must be the plural 'need'. Option 0 uses the singular 'needs', option 2 has no finite verb, and option 3 wrongly uses the progressive with a state verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “strong-willed people”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.