willing

adjective

will·​ing ˈwi-liŋ 

1

: inclined or favorably disposed in mind : ready

willing and eager to help

2

: prompt to act or respond

lending a willing hand

3

: done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance

a willing sacrifice

4

: of or relating to the will or power of choosing : volitional

willingly

ˈwi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

willingness noun

Synonyms

• amenable
• disposed
• fain
• game
• glad
• inclined
• minded
• ready

Choose the Right Synonym for willing

voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will.

voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

Examples of willing in a Sentence

He was a willing participant in the crime.

She's lending a willing hand.

Recent Examples on the Web

Executives involved say no, though the particulars of a final arrangement, one that officials say the University of California Board of Regents is willing to approve, may not be exactly what was discussed last fall. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024

Many overeager owners listed their apartments at three or four times the usual nightly rate, only to find that few people were willing to shell out. —Jenny Che, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024

Massie has urged Johnson to resign in the face of the removal threat, claiming that there are several other Republicans willing to oust the speaker if a vote is called on the floor. —USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024

Editors’ Picks Many Indians seem willing to accept this. —Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Yet, unless someone is willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete the recount process, none of that will matter. —Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024

Hymowitz, dressed in a diaphanous ballet slipper pink gown by Carolina Herrera, told Vogue that the assignment had been sprung on the willing creatives with a mere six-week deadline (during Fashion Month, no less!), but designers and artists took the brief and ran with it. —Freya Drohan, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024

Various law enforcement experts told the Miami Herald that, willing victims or not, that’s the kind of information police departments should do something about: sternly warn the coach, survey parents and students, conduct surveillance. —Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024

Bragg the candidate, in fact, was more than willing to talk up his legal bona fides in the matter of Trump. —Michael Rothfeld Emily Woo Zeller Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing willing

• God willing
• show willing
• the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Kids Definition

willing

adjective

will·​ing ˈwil-iŋ 

1

: feeling no objection : ready

willing to go

2

: prompt to act or respond

willing workers

3

: done, made, or given by choice

a willing sacrifice

willingly adverb

willingness noun