Synonyms of willing

willing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwi-liŋ 

1

as in ready

having a desire or inclination (as for a specified course of action)

I'm a little confused, but perfectly willing to do as you ask

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ready
• inclined
• glad
• prepared
• minded
• obliging
• disposed
• amenable
• eager
• excited
• game
• fain
• prone
• responsive
• cooperative
• receptive
• obedient
• submissive
• compliant
• enthusiastic
• desirous
• favorable
• predisposed
• prompt
• agreeable
• swift
• accommodating
• quick
• enthused

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unwilling
• reluctant
• disinclined
• loath
• averse
• reticent
• unamenable

2

as in quick

having or showing the ability to respond without delay or hesitation

she's always lent a willing hand whenever a neighbor needed help or a friend a favor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• quick
• ready
• immediate
• responsive
• swift
• prompt
• expeditious
• keen
• alert
• eager
• rapid
• receptive
• brisk
• clever
• alacritous
• fast
• instantaneous
• smart
• summary
• instant
• sharp
• rattling
• lightning
• apt
• speedy
• breathless
• fleet
• whirlwind
• snappy
• breakneck
• fleet-footed
• rapid-fire
• hit-and-run
• ready-witted
• quick-witted
• sharp-witted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unresponsive
• slow
• lazy
• dragging
• leisurely
• crawling
• lagging
• creeping
• unhurried
• slothful
• laggard
• sluggish
• dilatory
• tardy
• dallying
• idle
• poky
• poking
• inactive
• dormant
• inert
• lazyish
• dawdling
• dillydallying
• slowish
• logy

3

as in volunteer

done, made, or given with one's own free will

a willing sacrifice of her limited free time for a good cause

Synonyms & Similar Words

• volunteer
• voluntary
• volitional
• conscious
• uncoerced
• spontaneous
• unforced
• optional
• freewill
• elective
• self-imposed
• discretionary
• willful
• impulsive
• deliberate
• intentional
• instinctive
• knowing
• unpremeditated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• compelled
• forced
• necessary
• involuntary
• required
• coerced
• unwilled
• mandatory
• enforced
• nonvoluntary
• compulsory
• will-less
• ordered
• obligatory
• nonelective

willing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of will

1

as in leaving

to give by means of a will

willed their house to their adult children

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leaving
• bequeathing
• passing (down)
• devising
• deeding
• handing down
• handing on

2

as in wanting

to see fit

do as you will—I wash my hands of the whole affair

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wanting
• pleasing
• wishing
• choosing
• desiring
• liking
• dying (for)
• craving
• yearning (for)
• longing (for)
• panting (after)
• itching (for)
• sighing (for)
• fancying
• pining (for)
• aching (for)
• thirsting (for)
• hankering (for)
• coveting
• deciding
• hungering (for)
• resolving
• lusting (for or after)
• repining (for)
• determining

Synonym Chooser

How is the word willing different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of willing are deliberate, intentional, and voluntary. While all these words mean "done or brought about of one's own will," willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

When is deliberate a more appropriate choice than willing?

The words deliberate and willing are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

When is it sensible to use intentional instead of willing?

The words intentional and willing can be used in similar contexts, but intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

When could voluntary be used to replace willing?

While in some cases nearly identical to willing, voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of willing

Adjective

Talk early, revisit often, and be willing to go slowly or repeat yourself. — Christina Wing, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

The previous Armstrong County Party chair died in 1994, and the position sat empty for decades because no one was willing to step up. — Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026

Verb

Hepburn and Taylor were two of Brynner’s closest friends who passed long before her, willing her jewels that lived up to her exacting taste. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026

Since then, Qatar has come to play the most prominent role in mediating between warring countries and factions within countries, willing itself into a mediation powerhouse spanning the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. — Galip Dalay, Time, 6 Jan. 2026