unwilling

[ uhn-wil-ing ]
See synonyms for unwilling on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not willing; reluctant; loath; averse: an unwilling partner in the crime.

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

Origin of unwilling

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

Other words from unwilling

  • un·will·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·will·ing·ness, noun

Words Nearby unwilling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use unwilling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unwilling

unwilling

/ (ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ) /


adjective
  1. unfavourably inclined; reluctant

  2. performed, given, or said with reluctance

Derived forms of unwilling

  • unwillingly, adverb
  • unwillingness, 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