as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
your unwillingness to help with the cooking means that you won't be sharing in the eating
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of unwillingness
At its core, narcissism is defined by a lack of empathy—not just occasional selfishness, but a consistent inability or unwillingness to step into someone else’s world.
—
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 5 Mar. 2026
NeKeia McSwain, principal designer at NeKeia + Co, says that outdated design is less about a home's aesthetic and more about an unwillingness to change.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2026
To many people, that number alone summed up their unwillingness to push the boat out on salaries.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The downside is that the new-era players may bump up against their unwillingness to play a more cutthroat game.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
Republicans have previously signaled an unwillingness to consider gun control measures.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Officials’ unwillingness to acknowledge any mistakes has only sharpened residents’ focus on them, functionally bringing to a grinding halt any discourse around how the two groups can work to prevent the next disaster.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The National Assembly votes to impeach Han as acting president over his unwillingness to fill vacancies on the bench of the Constitutional Court ahead of its decision on whether to formally remove Yoon from office.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Advertisement But Ryan argues that the sequence of events doesn’t take into account Jacob’s unwillingness to save Sofia when given the chance.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 19 Feb. 2026
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 5 Mar. 2026
NeKeia McSwain, principal designer at NeKeia + Co, says that outdated design is less about a home's aesthetic and more about an unwillingness to change.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2026
To many people, that number alone summed up their unwillingness to push the boat out on salaries.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The downside is that the new-era players may bump up against their unwillingness to play a more cutthroat game.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
Republicans have previously signaled an unwillingness to consider gun control measures.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Officials’ unwillingness to acknowledge any mistakes has only sharpened residents’ focus on them, functionally bringing to a grinding halt any discourse around how the two groups can work to prevent the next disaster.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The National Assembly votes to impeach Han as acting president over his unwillingness to fill vacancies on the bench of the Constitutional Court ahead of its decision on whether to formally remove Yoon from office.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Advertisement But Ryan argues that the sequence of events doesn’t take into account Jacob’s unwillingness to save Sofia when given the chance.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwillingness
reluctance
Noun
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The one tiny potential upside of the populist movement was its apparent reluctance to plunge the nation into foreign debacles.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Kline was frustrated and even infuriated by the military's past reluctance.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwillingness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwillingness. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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