wayward

adjective

way·​ward ˈwā-wərd 

1

: following one's own capricious, wanton, or depraved inclinations : ungovernable

a wayward child

2

: following no clear principle or law : unpredictable

3

: opposite to what is desired or expected : untoward

wayward fate

waywardly adverb

waywardness noun

Synonyms of wayward

• rebellious
• rebel
• defiant
• stubborn

Choose the Right Synonym for wayward

contrary, perverse, restive, balky, wayward mean inclined to resist authority or control.

contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

Examples of wayward in a Sentence

parents of a wayward teenager

had always been the most wayward of their three children

Recent Examples on the Web

Mehrunissa Begum wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near Lake Geneva in 1816, instead searching London for her wayward brother. —Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026

As wayward posh actress Moira Rose, O’Hara’s one-liners were meme gold and earned her critical praise. —Dan Heching, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026

Let’s next mull over what to do about the circumstance of an Assistant that drifts and becomes wayward. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

The film is billed as a comedy following a wayward private investigator and a volatile ex-model who are pulled into a murder investigation during the chaos of Miami Swim Week. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, short for awayward turned away, from away, adverb + -ward

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wayward

adjective

way·​ward ˈwā-wərd 

1

: tending to do as one pleases : disobedient

wayward children

2

: not following a rule or regular course of action

waywardly adverb

waywardness noun