wayward

adjective

way·​ward ˈwā-wərd 

1

: following one's own capricious, wanton, or depraved inclinations : ungovernable

a wayward child

2

: following no clear principle or law : unpredictable

3

: opposite to what is desired or expected : untoward

wayward fate

waywardly adverb

waywardness noun

Synonyms

• rebellious
• rebel
• defiant
• stubborn

Choose the Right Synonym for wayward

contrary, perverse, restive, balky, wayward mean inclined to resist authority or control.

contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

Examples of wayward in a Sentence

parents of a wayward teenager

had always been the most wayward of their three children

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, after a wayward drive landed in the left rough on the par-4 eighth hole, Rahm’s mood soured. —Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

On that Thursday in early fall, the 40-foot wayward adult humpback male took a wrong turn on his migration from Alaska to Mexico and was spotted near Oakland’s Outer Harbor. —Helen Harlan, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025

The starting pitchers not named Cam Schlittler were a problem, and Devin Williams spent Game 4 returning to his wayward ways. —Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025

The streamer will also be on stage for a panel about Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus, in which a wayward school bus driver and a dedicated school teacher battle to save 22 children from a terrifying inferno. —The Deadline Team, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, short for awayward turned away, from away, adverb + -ward

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wayward

adjective

way·​ward ˈwā-wərd 

1

: tending to do as one pleases : disobedient

wayward children

2

: not following a rule or regular course of action

waywardly adverb

waywardness noun