wayward
Americanadjective
-
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
-
swayed or prompted by caprice; capricious.
a wayward impulse; to be wayward in one's affections.
-
turning or changing irregularly; irregular.
a wayward breeze.
- Synonyms:
- changeable, inconstant, unsteady
adjective
-
wanting to have one's own way regardless of the wishes or good of others
-
capricious, erratic, or unpredictable
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Analysts brushed off the chance the strike was a case of accidential targeting or some drones gone wayward.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
“It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over” centers on a wayward traveler in a post-apocalyptic, decaying landscape.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026
Could it be used for more than just a wayward puppy?
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Trump visited the construction site, theatrically inspecting it like a mob boss checking on a wayward subordinate.
From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026
She smoothed some of my wayward hairs back in place and tucked them into my coiled braid.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
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.
