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

With Beirut unwilling to risk civil war by confronting the militants directly — especially while Israel occupies Lebanese territory — the ceasefire offers some reprieve. —Sam Metz, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026

Bodycam audio shows tense standoff in moving SUV For two-and-a-half tense minutes, the officer remained an unwilling passenger in the fleeing suspect's SUV, repeatedly commanding him to stop the car. —Brian Day, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026

Only the White House has, so far, been inexplicably unwilling to take advantage of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer to share technology and testing grounds — along with the immediate sale of drones and drone interceptors to the Pentagon. —Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026

If state leadership remains unwilling or unable to respond, pressure will inevitably shift to the federal level. —James Rector, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 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