willing

adjective

will·​ing ˈwi-liŋ 

1

: inclined or favorably disposed in mind : ready

willing and eager to help

2

: prompt to act or respond

lending a willing hand

3

: done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance

a willing sacrifice

4

: of or relating to the will or power of choosing : volitional

willingly

ˈwi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

willingness noun

Synonyms

• ready
• inclined
• glad

Choose the Right Synonym for willing

voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will.

voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

Examples of willing in a Sentence

He was a willing participant in the crime.

She's lending a willing hand.

Recent Examples on the Web

Being a trailblazer means being willing to explore this tool’s full potential, experiment boldly and rethink what’s possible. —Anise Madh, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

That means listening to the courageous parents and former yeshiva students who have spoken out and sounded the alarm — and being willing to stand up to entrenched interests when the stakes are as high as a child’s future. —Adina Mermelstein Konikoff, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025

One paper published in 2023 found that 75 percent of more than 2,000 men surveyed in the U.S. and Canada were willing to try novel contraceptives. —Hannah Seo, Scientific American, 22 July 2025

Marino knew all about those other things, and was willing to spill the information. —Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 22 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing willing

• God willing
• show willing
• the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Rhymes for willing

• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling

Kids Definition

willing

adjective

will·​ing ˈwil-iŋ 

1

: feeling no objection : ready

willing to go

2

: prompt to act or respond

willing workers

3

: done, made, or given by choice

a willing sacrifice

willingly adverb

willingness noun