willing

play

adjective will·ing \ ˈwi-liŋ \

Definition of willing

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

play \ˈwi-liŋ-lē\ adverb

—

willingness

noun

See willing defined for English-language learners

See willing defined for kids

Examples of willing in a Sentence

He was a willing participant in the crime.
She's lending a willing hand.

Recent Examples of willing from the Web

But understand something: the number of football teams willing to schedule H-F are dwindling.

— pat disabato, Daily Southtown, "Disabato: Homewood-Flossmoor finds Week 2 football foe in North Carolina," 29 Aug. 2017
And to riff on what's often said on the Iron Islands, what is dead does not always necessarily die, as both Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) will happily tell anyone willing to listen.

— josh wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Game of Thrones' Must-See Moment: What Won't Happen in the Season 7 Finale," 27 Aug. 2017
There probably aren’t enough people willing to do this to have any measurable impact on the most powerful sport in the world.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Boycotting the NFL Will Not Work, but I’m Doing It Anyway," 24 Aug. 2017
In other words, for those willing and able to dive right in to the modern day gold rush, the future is looking green.

— alessandra codinha, Vogue, "For the Stylish, Socially Conscious Purveyors of Legalized Cannabis, the Future Is Looking Very Green, Indeed," 24 Aug. 2017
To succeed, Waaijers says, German negotiators must be willing to walk away without an agreement.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "A bold open-access push in Germany could change the future of academic publishing," 23 Aug. 2017
McConnell is considered the ultimate pragmatist, willing to set aside personal grievances to steadfastly advance Republican legislative priorities.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Why Trump’s War on McConnell Could Imperil His Presidency," 23 Aug. 2017
This is the season opener, when Bell might be willing to open the playbook (with a few new wrinkles the Terps have yet to show).

— don markus, baltimoresun.com, "Has Pigrome separated himself from Hill and Bortenschlager in the battle to become Maryland's No. 1 QB?," 23 Aug. 2017
The July 11 incident just in front of Esquivel’s home at 9955 SW 87th Ct., stunned neighbors and Hernandez’s family members, who recalled their lost relative as happy-go-lucky and almost always willing to help out someone in need.

— charles rabin, miamiherald, "Video shows man standing over AAA worker, pumping at least 5 bullets into him," 16 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'willing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of willing

14th century

willing Synonyms

Synonyms

amenable, disposed, fain, game, glad, inclined, minded, ready

Antonyms

disinclined, unamenable, unwilling

Related Words

predisposed, prone; accommodating, agreeable, compliant, cooperative, obedient, obliging, submissive; favorable, receptive; prepared, prompt, quick, responsive, swift; desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited

Near Antonyms

averse, loath (also loth or loathe), reluctant, reticent

Synonym Discussion of 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

WILLING Defined for English Language Learners

willing

play

adjective

Definition of willing for English Language Learners

: not refusing to do something
: quick to act or respond : doing something or ready to do something without being persuaded
: done, made, or given by choice

WILLING Defined for Kids

willing

play

adjective will·ing \ ˈwi-liŋ \

Definition of willing for Students

1 :feeling no objection

I'm willing to go.

2 :not slow or lazy

She's a willing worker.

3 :made, done, or given by choice :voluntary

a willing sacrifice

—

willingly

adverb

—

willingness

noun

Learn More about willing

See words that rhyme with willing Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for willing Spanish Central: Translation of willing Nglish: Translation of willing for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of willing for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up willing? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

willing

Definition of willing

willingly

willingness

People Are Reading

Examples of willing in a Sentence

Recent Examples of willing from the Web

First Known Use of willing

willing Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of willing

Phrases Related to WILLING

Related Phrases

WILLING Defined for English Language Learners

willing

Definition of willing for English Language Learners

WILLING Defined for Kids

willing

Definition of willing for Students

willingly

willingness

Learn More about willing

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Diffuse' vs. 'Defuse'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066