unwilling

1 of 2

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

unwillingness

2 of 2

noun

un·​will·​ing·​ness

: the quality or state of being unwilling : disinclination, refusal

Synonyms of unwilling

Adjective

• forced
• spontaneous
• accidental
• coerced

Examples of unwilling in a Sentence

Adjective

He was an unwilling participant in the demonstration.

unwilling contributions from city employees who felt pressured to do so

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And, unwilling to buy votes in Congress outright, as his predecessors did, Arévalo has resorted to pork-barrel spending and raising congressional salaries to win legislative support. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026

One of the challenges in getting the bill passed is that the VFX industry remains largely non-union, and state lawmakers are typically unwilling to subsidize jobs that could undercut union labor. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026

Visitors paid to tour the doomed vessel before it was towed upriver and set adrift toward the falls, its unwilling crew left to their fate. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

The tech sector of the S&P 500 has seen its forward price/earnings multiple contract from 29 to 21 in the past year with the market unwilling to extrapolate the profit surge in the absence of a clear path back to reaping oodles of free cash flow. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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