Synonyms of unwilling

unwilling

adjective

ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ 

as in forced

not made or done willingly or by choice

unwilling contributions from city employees who felt pressured to do so

Synonyms & Similar Words

• forced
• spontaneous
• accidental
• coerced
• will-less
• unintended
• involuntary
• unintentional
• automatic
• impulsive
• unconscious
• instinctive
• unplanned
• inadvertent
• unwitting
• unpremeditated
• unknowing
• unprompted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• willing
• voluntary
• deliberate
• intentional
• willful
• conscious
• uncoerced
• unforced
• knowing
• advised
• planned
• considered
• purposeful
• premeditated
• freewill
• volitional
• premeditative
• prepense
• self-imposed
• self-inflicted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unwilling

Prince William is reportedly unwilling to repeat the pattern of the 20th anniversary of his mother’s death in 2017, which served as a public catharsis, the Times reports. — Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 27 Sep. 2026

Tribal leaders say the bay partnership proved unwilling to offer signatory status, a failure to recognize tribal sovereignty, said Melissa Ann Ehrenreich, executive director of the council. — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 23 Sep. 2026

Unaware or unwilling to acknowledge how much our parents have sacrificed to get us here. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

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