unwilling

adjective

un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ 

: not willing:

a

: loath, reluctant

was unwilling to learn

b

: done or given reluctantly

unwilling approval

c

: offering opposition : obstinate

an unwilling student

unwillingly

ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

unwillingness noun

Synonyms of unwilling

• forced
• spontaneous
• accidental
• coerced

Examples of unwilling in a Sentence

He was an unwilling participant in the demonstration.

unwilling contributions from city employees who felt pressured to do so

Recent Examples on the Web

If a company is unwilling to stand behind a certain component for as long as the surrounding product, leaders should understand why. — Christopher Kiggins, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The government, unable and unwilling to check their most voracious citizens and appetites, failed to tame the frontier. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026

Prince William is reportedly unwilling to repeat the pattern of the 20th anniversary of his mother’s death in 2017, which served as a public catharsis, the Times reports. — Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 27 Sep. 2026

Tribal leaders say the bay partnership proved unwilling to offer signatory status, a failure to recognize tribal sovereignty, said Melissa Ann Ehrenreich, executive director of the council. — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unwilling

• backfilling
• distilling
• fulfilling
• infilling
• instilling
• refilling
• sawmilling
• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling
• grilling

Kids Definition

unwilling

adjective

un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwil-iŋ 

ˈən-

: not willing

unwillingly adverb

unwillingness noun