unwilling
Americanadjective
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not willing; reluctant; loath; averse.
an unwilling partner in the crime.
-
opposed; offering resistance; stubborn or obstinate; refractory.
an unwilling captive.
adjective
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unfavourably inclined; reluctant
-
performed, given, or said with reluctance
Other Word Forms
- unwillingly adverb
- unwillingness noun
Etymology
Origin of unwilling
before 900; Old English unwillende (not recorded in ME); un- 1, willing
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But he seemed unwilling to transform that imperfection into a constitutional defect in which counsel, in his view, still had “every opportunity” to make the point and did not.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
Details remain sketchy, and other reports suggest Iran is unwilling to negotiate without security guarantees.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Mudavadi also negotiated a deal that allowed Kenyans currently on the front line and "unwilling to continue in the assignment disengaged and freed to travel back home", the foreign ministry said.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Investors unwilling to pay the price looked for cheap opportunities in sectors like utilities and energy.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026
I’m embarrassed—no, angry at myself—for not approaching them earlier, wrongly assuming they might be unwilling to stand up to the Director.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
