unwilling

adjective

un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ 

: not willing:

a

: loath, reluctant

was unwilling to learn

b

: done or given reluctantly

unwilling approval

c

: offering opposition : obstinate

an unwilling student

unwillingly

ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

unwillingness noun

Synonyms of unwilling

• forced
• spontaneous
• accidental
• coerced

Examples of unwilling in a Sentence

He was an unwilling participant in the demonstration.

unwilling contributions from city employees who felt pressured to do so

Recent Examples on the Web

But most of those households are dual-income, stretched for time and unwilling to spend a Saturday afternoon shuttling a dog to and from a grooming salon. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026

So my guess/belief/thought is that the executive trio is hoping for the best this year, but is unwilling to do anything that mortgages future seasons. — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 9 July 2026

That is not because we are entitled or unwilling to wait our turn. — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

That’s an indicator that clients are unwilling to pay ever-increasing prices. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unwilling

• backfilling
• distilling
• fulfilling
• infilling
• instilling
• refilling
• sawmilling
• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling
• grilling

Kids Definition

unwilling

adjective

un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwil-iŋ 

ˈən-

: not willing

unwillingly adverb

unwillingness noun