waywardness

A child's waywardness is shown by their refusal to wear a coat on a cold day.

Definition

Noun: The quality or state of being difficult to control, manage, or predict; willful disobedience or capricious behavior.

Usage Examples

• (Her stubborn and disobedient nature disrupted the lesson.)
• (The unpredictable and changeable weather ruined our plans.)
• (His rebellious and uncontrollable behavior caused legal problems.)

Advanced Usage

• "a streak of waywardness": a tendency toward being difficult or unpredictable.

  • Even as a child, she had a streak of waywardness that worried her parents. (She showed a persistent inclination to be disobedient or erratic.)

• "waywardness of fortune": the unpredictable and often unfavorable turns of fate.

  • The waywardness of fortune left the family destitute after the business failed. (The random and cruel nature of luck caused their ruin.)

Variants and Related Words

• Wayward (adj): difficult to control or predict; disobedient.

  • The wayward child refused to follow any instructions. (The child was stubborn and uncooperative.)

• Waywardly (adv): in a way that is difficult to control or predict.

  • She acted waywardly, ignoring all advice. (She behaved in a stubborn and unpredictable manner.)

Synonyms

• Obstinacy: stubbornness; refusal to change one’s opinion or course of action.
• Capriciousness: sudden and unpredictable changes of mood or behavior.
• Willfulness: deliberate stubbornness; insistence on having one’s own way.
• Fickleness: frequent changes of loyalty, interest, or affection.

Related Idioms

• "to go one's own way": to act independently, often in a stubborn or contrary manner.

  • Despite his parents' advice, he insisted on going his own way, a clear sign of waywardness. (He chose his own path, showing his stubborn independence.)

• "to have a mind of one's own": to be independent and difficult to influence.

  • The cat has a mind of its own, a perfect example of waywardness. (The cat is stubborn and does what it wants.)