wayward

American  

[wey-werd] / ˈweɪ wərd /

adjective

1. turned or turning away from what is right or proper; willful; disobedient.

   a wayward son; wayward behavior.

   Synonyms:

   intractable, refractory, unruly, obstinate, stubborn, headstrong, contrary

2. swayed or prompted by caprice; capricious.

   a wayward impulse; to be wayward in one's affections.

3. turning or changing irregularly; irregular.

   a wayward breeze.

   Synonyms:

   changeable, inconstant, unsteady

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wayward British  

/ ˈweɪwəd /

adjective

1. wanting to have one's own way regardless of the wishes or good of others

2. capricious, erratic, or unpredictable

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Related Words

See willful.

Other Word Forms

• unwayward adjective
• waywardly adverb
• waywardness noun

Etymology

Origin of wayward

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; aphetic variant of awayward. See away, -ward

Example Sentences

In the back room, she tucked a few wayward strands into the hair bun at her nape and tied an apron over her housedress.

From Literature

His playing partner, two-time major winner Xander Schauffele, drove the ball well but was wayward with his second shots into greens as he posted a two-over 74 to slip five off the pace.

From BBC

Analysts brushed off the chance the strike was a case of accidential targeting or some drones gone wayward.

From Barron's

“It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over” centers on a wayward traveler in a post-apocalyptic, decaying landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

The identity of her father is unknown, but she aches for her mother who, as a wayward teenager, quickly handed off newborn Annie to her grandmother before disappearing from their lives.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• capricious
• delinquent
• errant
• erratic
• headstrong
• rebellious
• recalcitrant
• unruly