1
as in ready
having a desire or inclination (as for a specified course of action)
I'm a little confused, but perfectly willing to do as you ask
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quick
having or showing the ability to respond without delay or hesitation
she's always lent a willing hand whenever a neighbor needed help or a friend a favor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in volunteer
done, made, or given with one's own free will
a willing sacrifice of her limited free time for a good cause
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in leaving
to give by means of a will
willed their house to their adult children
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in wanting
to see fit
do as you will—I wash my hands of the whole affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of willing
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
No school was willing to provide anything more granular, except by way of excuses.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Chase Daniel joins Dan Patrick to discuss Arch Manning struggling, Caleb Williams trying to do too much, Dak Prescott willing his team to victory in Week 2, Patrick Mahomes needing more help from his teammates and more.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willing
Adjective
These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
No school was willing to provide anything more granular, except by way of excuses.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones continued his hot start to the 2025 season in relief of Brock Purdy on Thursday night, willing his team to a 26-23 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Chase Daniel joins Dan Patrick to discuss Arch Manning struggling, Caleb Williams trying to do too much, Dak Prescott willing his team to victory in Week 2, Patrick Mahomes needing more help from his teammates and more.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for willing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willing
Adjective
-
Now, all these years later, Alice, 106, is ready to let go of the bullet that began the couple's love story.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
-
For the first time since 2016, the 49ers won’t have linebacker Fred Warner to defend against the Rams, so Tatum Bethune (thigh) and Dee Winters (knees) must be ready for a full-on scheme against them.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Green was quick to point out that every team that has won a championship featured a strong defense.—
Jordy Fee-Platt,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Within the past couple of years, the group has become a part of Arrowhead Kingdom, an all-volunteer national network of Chiefs fan groups.—
Hannah Kirby,
Journal Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2023
-
That’s noteworthy for a show based at a high-school auditorium in Litchfield and run by a staff that is almost entirely volunteer, including the show’s star and its producer.—
Susan Dunne,
Hartford Courant,
18 Aug. 2022
Verb
-
For years, younger generations have flocked to big cities for better job opportunities, leaving a dwindling elderly population in rural villages.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Six Central and North American teams scratched, leaving Cuba to qualify.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Anyone wanting to argue the riches of European films need go no further than the new talents spotlighted at this year’s Seville European Film Festival which launched last year a Rampa section for first and second features and has added short films to its lineup in 2025.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Fans wanting to go to games will enter from Gate 2 on the north side of the football stadium and will go through security screenings there before entering the arena on the south side of the building.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The new rule stipulates that pillows must be firm enough to prevent suffocation and flat enough to prevent the baby’s head and neck from going into an inclined position.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Her parents were originally inclined to give her a name whose popularity was heavily influenced by another NBC show.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Although the positions are voluntary, state law does not prohibit board members from setting compensation for themselves once appointed.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The market for voluntary carbon offset and removal credits has been struggling for the last several years to repair a reputation sullied by numerous greenwashing scandals.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Effectively, Newsom’s slow roll protects him from taking any meaningful actions, thus bequeathing reparations to his successor, like his many other unresolved California issues.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Rewriting society’s decision-making Unlike biased pundits who hem, haw and hedge their bets, Web3 prediction markets cut through noise, bequeathing a signal that feeds into pricing mechanisms themselves.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Willing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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