unwilling
Americanadjective
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not willing; reluctant; loath; averse.
an unwilling partner in the crime.
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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
Etymology
Origin of unwilling
before 900; Old English unwillende (not recorded in ME); see 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.
However, their hopes of signing first choice Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest ended when the England man's transfer fee spiralled up to £116m, a figure United were unwilling to match.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Over the past few years, however, he has become moody and unwilling to help her.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
“The foreperson stated that people are ‘Dead set, unwavering and unwilling to change their opinion.’”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
The answer isn’t that families are unable to give it, or unwilling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Perhaps, like Greg, she had merely been unwilling to love.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
