unwilling

adjective

un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ 

: not willing:

a

: loath, reluctant

was unwilling to learn

b

: done or given reluctantly

unwilling approval

c

: offering opposition : obstinate

an unwilling student

unwillingly

ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

unwillingness noun

Synonyms

• coerced
• forced
• involuntary
• unintended
• unintentional
• will-less

Examples of unwilling in a Sentence

He was an unwilling participant in the demonstration.

unwilling contributions from city employees who felt pressured to do so

Recent Examples on the Web

Devers is a three-time All-Star and helped bring a championship to Boston, but was unwilling to make changes to help the team. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

La Plante noted that clients are generally unwilling to pay a premium for sustainable options. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 16 June 2025

Netanyahu is a political survivor, but is under pressure: Rifts are also growing with US President Donald Trump, who reportedly demanded an end to Israel’s operation in Gaza this week, a move Netanyahu is unwilling to make. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 June 2025

But hospital systems have been increasingly unwilling to facilitate these transfers, which has resulted in delayed or blocked treatments that could save lives. —Sean M. Cleary, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unwilling

• backfilling
• distilling
• fulfilling
• infilling
• instilling
• refilling
• sawmilling
• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling
• grilling

Kids Definition

unwilling

adjective

un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwil-iŋ 

ˈən-

: not willing

unwillingly adverb

unwillingness noun