willing

1 of 2

adjective

will·​ing ˈwi-liŋ 

1

: inclined or favorably disposed in mind : ready

willing and eager to help

2

: prompt to act or respond

lending a willing hand

3

: done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance

a willing sacrifice

4

: of or relating to the will or power of choosing : volitional

willingly

ˈwi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

willingness noun

willing

2 of 2

present participle of will entry 3

Synonyms of willing

Adjective

• ready
• inclined
• glad

Choose the Right Synonym for willing

voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will.

voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

Examples of willing in a Sentence

Adjective

He was a willing participant in the crime.

She's lending a willing hand.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That is the reality physicians must be willing to acknowledge. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

During his tenure at ABC News, Baker gained a reputation as someone willing to experiment and try new things. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Giving Fincher a chance to dabble in TV and animation are other areas that a place like Apple or Amazon may have been willing to throw a lot of money at, but Netflix got there first. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026

Unfortunately, this is just another example of politicians willing to say just about anything to get elected. — Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing willing

• God willing
• show willing
• the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Rhymes for willing

• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling

Kids Definition

willing

adjective

will·​ing ˈwil-iŋ 

1

: feeling no objection : ready

willing to go

2

: prompt to act or respond

willing workers

3

: done, made, or given by choice

a willing sacrifice

willingly adverb

willingness noun