diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0d1528b096e6..56a904cec130 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - Fixed use of `raw` content in the CLI ([#9773](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/9773))
 - Pick up changes from files that are both context and content deps ([#9787](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/9787))
 - Sort pseudo-elements ONLY after classes when using variants and `@apply` ([#9765](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/9765))
+- Support important utilities in the safelist (pattern must include a `!`) ([#9791](https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/pull/9791))
 
 ## [3.2.2] - 2022-11-04
 
diff --git a/src/lib/setupContextUtils.js b/src/lib/setupContextUtils.js
index 0d092b3517e7..a5f8d3fdfb67 100644
--- a/src/lib/setupContextUtils.js
+++ b/src/lib/setupContextUtils.js
@@ -825,6 +825,7 @@ function registerPlugins(plugins, context) {
     if (checks.length > 0) {
       let patternMatchingCount = new Map()
       let prefixLength = context.tailwindConfig.prefix.length
+      let checkImportantUtils = checks.some((check) => check.pattern.source.includes('!'))
 
       for (let util of classList) {
         let utils = Array.isArray(util)
@@ -861,6 +862,10 @@ function registerPlugins(plugins, context) {
                 ]
               }
 
+              if (checkImportantUtils && options?.respectImportant) {
+                classes = [...classes, ...classes.map((cls) => '!' + cls)]
+              }
+
               return classes
             })()
           : [util]
diff --git a/tests/safelist.test.js b/tests/safelist.test.js
index d71c8b28eaaa..430f10331cc9 100644
--- a/tests/safelist.test.js
+++ b/tests/safelist.test.js
@@ -195,6 +195,35 @@ it('should not safelist when an sparse/holey list is provided', () => {
   })
 })
 
+it('should not safelist any invalid variants if provided', () => {
+  let config = {
+    content: [{ raw: html`<div class="uppercase"></div>` }],
+    safelist: [
+      {
+        pattern: /^bg-(red)-(100|200)$/,
+        variants: ['foo', 'bar'],
+      },
+    ],
+  }
+
+  return run('@tailwind utilities', config).then((result) => {
+    return expect(result.css).toMatchCss(css`
+      .bg-red-100 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1;
+        background-color: rgb(254 226 226 / var(--tw-bg-opacity));
+      }
+      .bg-red-200 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1;
+        background-color: rgb(254 202 202 / var(--tw-bg-opacity));
+      }
+
+      .uppercase {
+        text-transform: uppercase;
+      }
+    `)
+  })
+})
+
 it('should safelist negatives based on a pattern regex', () => {
   let config = {
     content: [{ raw: html`<div class="uppercase"></div>` }],
@@ -304,3 +333,202 @@ it('should safelist negatives based on a pattern regex', () => {
     `)
   })
 })
+
+it('should safelist pattern regex with !important selector', () => {
+  let config = {
+    content: [{ raw: html`<div class="uppercase"></div>` }],
+    safelist: [{ pattern: /^!grid-cols-(4|5|6)$/ }],
+  }
+
+  return run('@tailwind utilities', config).then((result) => {
+    return expect(result.css).toMatchCss(css`
+      .\!grid-cols-4 {
+        grid-template-columns: repeat(4, minmax(0, 1fr)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!grid-cols-5 {
+        grid-template-columns: repeat(5, minmax(0, 1fr)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!grid-cols-6 {
+        grid-template-columns: repeat(6, minmax(0, 1fr)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .uppercase {
+        text-transform: uppercase;
+      }
+    `)
+  })
+})
+
+it('should safelist pattern regex with custom prefix along with !important selector', () => {
+  let config = {
+    prefix: 'tw-',
+    content: [{ raw: html`<div class="tw-uppercase"></div>` }],
+    safelist: [{ pattern: /^!tw-grid-cols-(4|5|6)$/ }],
+  }
+
+  return run('@tailwind utilities', config).then((result) => {
+    return expect(result.css).toMatchCss(css`
+      .\!tw-grid-cols-4 {
+        grid-template-columns: repeat(4, minmax(0, 1fr)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!tw-grid-cols-5 {
+        grid-template-columns: repeat(5, minmax(0, 1fr)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!tw-grid-cols-6 {
+        grid-template-columns: repeat(6, minmax(0, 1fr)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .tw-uppercase {
+        text-transform: uppercase;
+      }
+    `)
+  })
+})
+
+it('should safelist pattern regex having !important selector with variants', () => {
+  let config = {
+    content: [{ raw: html`<div class="uppercase"></div>` }],
+    safelist: [
+      {
+        pattern: /^!bg-gray-(500|600|700|800)$/,
+        variants: ['hover'],
+      },
+    ],
+  }
+
+  return run('@tailwind utilities', config).then((result) => {
+    return expect(result.css).toMatchCss(css`
+      .\!bg-gray-500 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(107 114 128 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!bg-gray-600 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(75 85 99 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!bg-gray-700 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(55 65 81 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!bg-gray-800 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(31 41 55 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .uppercase {
+        text-transform: uppercase;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!bg-gray-500:hover {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(107 114 128 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!bg-gray-600:hover {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(75 85 99 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!bg-gray-700:hover {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(55 65 81 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!bg-gray-800:hover {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(31 41 55 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+    `)
+  })
+})
+
+it('should safelist multiple patterns with !important selector', () => {
+  let config = {
+    content: [{ raw: html`<div class="uppercase"></div>` }],
+    safelist: [
+      {
+        pattern: /^!text-gray-(700|800|900)$/,
+        variants: ['hover'],
+      },
+      {
+        pattern: /^!bg-gray-(200|300|400)$/,
+        variants: ['hover'],
+      },
+    ],
+  }
+
+  return run('@tailwind utilities', config).then((result) => {
+    return expect(result.css).toMatchCss(css`
+      .\!bg-gray-200 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(229 231 235 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!bg-gray-300 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(209 213 219 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!bg-gray-400 {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(156 163 175 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .uppercase {
+        text-transform: uppercase;
+      }
+
+      .\!text-gray-700 {
+        --tw-text-opacity: 1 !important;
+        color: rgb(55 65 81 / var(--tw-text-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!text-gray-800 {
+        --tw-text-opacity: 1 !important;
+        color: rgb(31 41 55 / var(--tw-text-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .\!text-gray-900 {
+        --tw-text-opacity: 1 !important;
+        color: rgb(17 24 39 / var(--tw-text-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!bg-gray-200:hover {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(229 231 235 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!bg-gray-300:hover {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(209 213 219 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!bg-gray-400:hover {
+        --tw-bg-opacity: 1 !important;
+        background-color: rgb(156 163 175 / var(--tw-bg-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!text-gray-700:hover {
+        --tw-text-opacity: 1 !important;
+        color: rgb(55 65 81 / var(--tw-text-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!text-gray-800:hover {
+        --tw-text-opacity: 1 !important;
+        color: rgb(31 41 55 / var(--tw-text-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+
+      .hover\:\!text-gray-900:hover {
+        --tw-text-opacity: 1 !important;
+        color: rgb(17 24 39 / var(--tw-text-opacity)) !important;
+      }
+    `)
+  })
+})