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

My brother seems unwilling to understand my point of view. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025

Zelenskyy on Friday warned Putin would attempt to use the peace talks to try to frame Ukraine as unwilling to accept peace, while making unjust demands. —ABC News, 21 Nov. 2025

The Deadwood of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock that HBO made famous seemed unable or unwilling to move past the 1870s. —Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025

California Superior Court Judge Peter Borkon ruled on Friday that the 2017 lawsuit could not move forward as a class action because many of the 200 workers chosen at random to testify ahead of a trial scheduled for 2026 were unwilling to do so. —Daniel Wiessner, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025

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