Synonyms of unwillingness

unwillingness

noun

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

• reluctance
• reticence
• hesitancy
• hesitance
• doubt
• disinclination
• skepticism
• hesitation
• indecision
• vacillation
• irresolution
• suspicion
• uncertainty
• wavering
• staggering
• faltering
• distrust
• mistrust
• wobbling
• fence-sitting
• incertitude
• shilly-shallying
• distrustfulness
• mistrustfulness
• uncertainness
• misdoubt
• misgiving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• willingness
• inclination
• conviction
• certainty
• assurance
• surety
• certitude
• positiveness
• sureness
• assuredness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unwillingness

Anthony Volpe had to defend his character after the team’s play-by-play man, Michael Kay, retracted unfounded claims about the shortdtop’s unwillingness to play second base. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026

Working closely with the extraordinary faculty at Washington College and with partners across the nation, the Hogan Institute is another example of America’s unwillingness to continue its slide toward greater division. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2026

Such large numbers could have been a driving factor in the reluctance or unwillingness of plan sponsors to participate in the BALANCE model as it was originally designed. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

The tournament’s special status — its unwillingness to place any person above the sport — is part of why Williams wanted to play singles, not just doubles with her sister Venus, after waffling on the decision. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 30 June 2026

His unwillingness to back Hilton drew a roundabout rebuke from California Republican Party Chair Corrin Rankin. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026

Fazio, who voted against a higher minimum wage and other key labor bills, said his absence did not reflect an unwillingness to listen to labor. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026

Yet many also revealed an unwillingness to surrender entirely to despair. — Sean Murphy, The Conversation, 25 June 2026

In some systems, the greatest danger is not the mistake itself, but the unwillingness to learn. — Nisha Narayanan, STAT, 5 June 2026