1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
had always been the most wayward of their three children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
an institution to which wayward teens were often sent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wayward
For decades, Latino activists have strained to inspire gang members to join el movimiento — not as stormtroopers but as wayward youngsters and veteranos who can leave la vida loca behind if only they become enlightened.
—
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The intensity of those marches and the tens of millions of people who took part so unnerved conservative legislatures across the country that several states passed bills expanding police powers and increasing penalties on wayward marchers.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Alone and shockingly baby-faced, Logan encounters a similarly wayward Rogue (Anna Paquin).
—EW.com, 14 July 2025
His sprawling hands corralled loose balls and wayward shots with ease.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The intensity of those marches and the tens of millions of people who took part so unnerved conservative legislatures across the country that several states passed bills expanding police powers and increasing penalties on wayward marchers.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Alone and shockingly baby-faced, Logan encounters a similarly wayward Rogue (Anna Paquin).
—EW.com, 14 July 2025
His sprawling hands corralled loose balls and wayward shots with ease.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward
Adjective
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The story follows Bárbara, rebellious and broke, who fakes her way into a convent for a private room and some peace—only to find herself on an unexpected spiritual journey.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
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The town’s rebellious spirit and dreamy beach backdrop attracted a who’s who in music, from Duke Ellington in the 1920s to Led Zeppelin, who skipped Woodstock in 1969 to play the Asbury Park Convention Hall.—
Jen Murphy,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For Baxter and the stubborn Scot, this marked, at last, the reality of war’s end.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
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Here’s the case for Scorpio: Wednesday is suss, secretive, brooding, vengeful and stubborn.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After all, in Andor, a rebel alliance pushes back against an emperor.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Aug. 2025
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Martial law and a state of emergency would be imposed in more than 60 townships across nine regions and states due to the threat of violence and insurgency, the report said, many in border areas where the military is facing unprecedented resistance from rebel groups.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In its 56th edition, the photography festival, running until 5th October, embraces the provocatively defiant theme Disobedient Images, under the directorship of Christoph Wiesner.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Even postgrads, navigating early adulthood in a shifting economic landscape, leaned into the aesthetic, dressing with a kind of defiant playfulness that pushed back against the pressure to look older.—
Alexandra Jane,
Essence,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Tariffs are hammering its balance sheet and it’s burdened by an unruly European brand structure.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
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Their branches stretch in all directions like unruly cowlicks.—
Maggie Heyn Richardson,
Southern Living,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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With Iranian power and influence waning, and with the challenges of an ascendant China and a recalcitrant Russia necessarily dominating the American national security agenda, indifference may appear to be the most appealing option for Washington.—
Suzanne Maloney,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Aug. 2025
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In that case, the Saudis would bring greater pressure to be on their recalcitrant partners.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Nothing important happened, but something happened, sort of — something scary and uncontrollable.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Aug. 2025
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It's been 28 years since the rage virus — a virulent, bloodborne infection that sends its hosts into extreme, uncontrollable rage and states of undead decay — escaped a lab and decimated nearly all of the United Kingdom, now under rigid quarantine.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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He was deported in 2015, after serving a six-year state prison term for convictions of inflicting corporal punishment, child cruelty, willful discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner and being a felon in possession of a firearm.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
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Distinguishing between honest errors and willful misconduct is key.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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