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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unwillingness
In discussion panels, this was framed as an unwillingness to trust AI, as well as doubt that governments have the ability to steer us through these times of political and economic uncertainty.
—
Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Kikuchi, for her part, imbues the character with dimensions by turns gentle and thorny, but Haru’s unwillingness to meaningfully confront her loss is a blind spot that ends up applied to the story as a whole.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
The Flynn sisters attend the Sacred Daughters Preparatory School, and lately the town priest has noted their unwillingness to volunteer for church events.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Overall, though, Payton showed an utter unwillingness to trust his backfield against one of the league’s worst rushing defenses in the Bills.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Such is the strength of his conviction, the prince wrote in his 2023 memoir Spare, that his public rift with other members of the royal family derives from their unwillingness to stand up to the tabloids.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Jan. 2026
But the unwillingness to even take them, the same hesitance that Nance and most others believed was in the past, is hurting his overall game.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
In addition to the prosecutors reportedly objecting to a criminal investigation into Good’s widow, Becca, Thompson is also said to have taken issue with federal investigators’ unwillingness to allow state officials to participate in considering whether the fatal shooting was legal.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026
Trump’s statements reflect his ignorance of wind and solar energy and his unwillingness to learn about their importance.
—Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 13 Jan. 2026
Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Kikuchi, for her part, imbues the character with dimensions by turns gentle and thorny, but Haru’s unwillingness to meaningfully confront her loss is a blind spot that ends up applied to the story as a whole.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
The Flynn sisters attend the Sacred Daughters Preparatory School, and lately the town priest has noted their unwillingness to volunteer for church events.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Overall, though, Payton showed an utter unwillingness to trust his backfield against one of the league’s worst rushing defenses in the Bills.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Such is the strength of his conviction, the prince wrote in his 2023 memoir Spare, that his public rift with other members of the royal family derives from their unwillingness to stand up to the tabloids.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Jan. 2026
But the unwillingness to even take them, the same hesitance that Nance and most others believed was in the past, is hurting his overall game.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
In addition to the prosecutors reportedly objecting to a criminal investigation into Good’s widow, Becca, Thompson is also said to have taken issue with federal investigators’ unwillingness to allow state officials to participate in considering whether the fatal shooting was legal.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026
Trump’s statements reflect his ignorance of wind and solar energy and his unwillingness to learn about their importance.
—Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwillingness
reluctance
Noun
-
Business owners and executives who disapproved of the tariffs said their companies were hamstrung by higher prices for inputs, lower product demand, supply chain shortages and a reluctance to hire or invest due to uncertainty over trade deals and a prolonged government shutdown.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
With some reluctance, Bates agreed to grant her the reimbursement.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwillingness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwillingness. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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