unwilling

[ uhn-wil-ing ]

/ ʌnˈwɪl ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR unwilling ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not willing; reluctant; loath; averse: an unwilling partner in the crime.

opposed; offering resistance; stubborn or obstinate; refractory: an unwilling captive.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby unwilling

unwell, unwept, unwholesome, unwieldy, unwilled, unwilling, unwincing, unwind, unwinking, unwinnable, unwired

Origin of unwilling

before 900; Old English unwillende (not recorded in ME); see un-¹, willing

OTHER WORDS FROM unwilling

un·will·ing·ly, adverbun·will·ing·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for unwillingness

But an absence of niceties nor an unwillingness to conform is not a legitimate cause for impeachment.
The University of Texas’s Machiavellian War on Its Regent|David Davis|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His unwillingness to marry her and settle down has only increased her fervor.
Miss Piggy Leans In|Erin Cunningham|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the price of bipartisanship in the Obama era at least has been an unwillingness until recently to openly oppose the president.
How AIPAC Botched Its Biggest Fight in Years|Eli Lake|February 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So the U.S. government is about to run out of money and may announce its unwillingness to meet legal debt obligations.
Shutdown? What Shutdown? It’s Time to Buy U.S. Government Bonds!|Daniel Gross|September 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST

An unwillingness to process economic failure condemned it to a slower-than-normal recovery.
Japan’s Fiscal Crossroads: Will Abenomics Mean Tougher Changes?|Daniel Gross|July 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He has not then to conquer an unwillingness to work which besets him at other hours.
Methods of Authors|Hugo Erichsen
An unwillingness to toe the scratch under the handicap of having his neighbors know it is his second trial.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
It was so arranged, after Charley's protests of unwillingness, and counter-appeals from the others.
The Right of Way, Complete|Gilbert Parker
Unwillingness to nurse or inability to do so soon becomes manifest.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various
And unwillingness to help may be nobler than the virtue that rusheth to do so.
Thus Spake Zarathustra|Friedrich Nietzsche

British Dictionary definitions for unwillingness

unwilling

/ (ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ) /

adjective

unfavourably inclined; reluctant

performed, given, or said with reluctance

Derived forms of unwilling

unwillingly, adverbunwillingness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

unwilling

adjective

QUIZZES

Words related to unwilling

Words nearby unwilling

Origin of unwilling

OTHER WORDS FROM unwilling

Example sentences from the Web for unwillingness

British Dictionary definitions for unwillingness

adjective

Derived forms of unwilling