1
2

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective wayward contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wayward are balky, contrary, perverse, and restive. While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

When can balky be used instead of wayward?

The synonyms balky and wayward are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

When would contrary be a good substitute for wayward?

The meanings of contrary and wayward largely overlap; however, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

When might perverse be a better fit than wayward?

While the synonyms perverse and wayward are close in meaning, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

In what contexts can restive take the place of wayward?

The words restive and wayward are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wayward The discovery sheds light on a rare but growing population of lunar asteroids, which could reveal just how many times impacts on the moon have sent wayward space rocks flying into the vicinity of Earth. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 27 Jan. 2025 Sometimes, a greased palm may be all that’s needed to handle wayward men, as when a girl’s complaint about a bad boyfriend facilitates, for the right price, her chance to get a few good smacks at him behind closed doors. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025 For the educators, that creates an amusing challenge: The Sunny gang isn’t a pack of wayward teenagers waiting for an understanding mentor to show them the light, and their moral failures can’t be rehabilitated with a pep talk. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2025 The surrounding hills were blackened, the aftermath of brush fires started by wayward rockets. Jack Nicas, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wayward 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward
Adjective
  • Ali is a directionless and rebellious 17-year-old girl with an overprotective mother who eventually finds her passion in music after taking piano lessons from an elderly woman in her apartment building.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
  • Talking about the soul is more rebellious than talking about Marxist revolution.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • America’s stubborn division was reflected at the nation on the largest stage possible.
    Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Feb. 2025
  • The telescope now named for her will help unravel the stubborn mystery surrounding it.
    Jeffrey Kluger/Greenbelt, TIME, 8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Particularly devastating on rebel strongholds were some 82,000 barrel bombs, 55-gallon drums filled with explosives and dropped from helicopters.
    Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2025
  • The declaration also reiterated previous steps dissolving Assad’s Baath Party and his state security apparatus and said rebel groups that fought him during 13 years of war were to be dissolved and merged into the state.
    Reuters, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • But rather the simple act of playing pretend, which, when done in a maximum security prison facility and by men of color specifically, can be a defiant, life-affirming and rehabilitating act in itself.
    Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025
  • However, just as much as her lyrics speak to the heart, her fashion choices serve as an extension of the same values: freedom, self-empowerment, and a defiant celebration of Blackness.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Local authorities recently deployed security guards to remind tourists to refrain from unruly behaviors, including trespassing onto private premises and obstructing road traffic.
    Chris Lau, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
  • Flashback: Trump on campus protests Trump has harshly criticized institutions for allowing such protests, promising to halt unruly protests.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet must approve it, and given the far-right, recalcitrant members of that group, approval is not guaranteed.
    Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
  • According to Cartwright, both recalcitrant and cooperative countries have seen reductions in border encounters, regardless of deportation flights.
    Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In higher elevations lightning sometimes strikes dry vegetation, which sparks a fire that can easily become uncontrollable, particularly when fueled by dry winds.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Big, sometimes uncontrollable emotions are a normal part of growing up, and gentle parents at least try to not dismiss their or get annoyed with their kids when those challenging moments come up.
    Alex Vance, Parents, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The Vermont Supreme Court found that mistakenly vaccinating the wrong student wasn’t enough to show willful misconduct — the only exception to immunity granted under the emergency preparedness act.
    Katie Smith, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Dec. 2024
  • The administration defines willful misconduct as actions that are intentional, lack justification, and where the risk of harm outweighs the potential benefits.
    Katie Smith, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near wayward

Cite this Entry

“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on wayward

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!