1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
had always been the most wayward of their three children
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
an institution to which wayward teens were often sent
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Recent Examples of wayward
Besides Arte Johnson as Tyrone, another favorite famous target of Gladys’ wayward backhand was often the head of tipsy Dean Martin during his celebrity roast TV specials.
—
Phil Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
En route to fetch his wayward sister, Dexter’s voice-over muses that Harry’s belief in good people and bad people isn’t quite right — there’s darkness in everyone.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, especially at dusk or dawn, like ducks, pheasants, deer, or maybe even a wayward fox out on an adventure.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
The national blindness to the depth of Moro resentment has led Philippine politicians and policymakers to treat Moros as wayward children who can be set right through minor concessions, or if those fail, through force.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Phil Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
En route to fetch his wayward sister, Dexter’s voice-over muses that Harry’s belief in good people and bad people isn’t quite right — there’s darkness in everyone.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, especially at dusk or dawn, like ducks, pheasants, deer, or maybe even a wayward fox out on an adventure.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
The national blindness to the depth of Moro resentment has led Philippine politicians and policymakers to treat Moros as wayward children who can be set right through minor concessions, or if those fail, through force.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward
Adjective
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The wildly rebellious press across Europe are a vibrant sign of its free speech.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
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Luna will meet with rebellious Uranus in a surprising trine, bringing a jolt of excitement and unexpected revelations to your love life.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Still facing a stubborn staffing crunch, the New York City Department of Correction will require officers to work mandatory 12-hour tours in a number of city jails, a move immediately criticized by their union.—
Graham Rayman,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
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The financial outlook from nation’s largest retailer, which has thrived amid stubborn inflation, delivered a jolt across the retail sector.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The shocking defeat of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham prompted a groundswell of domestic and international optimism.—
Jesse Marks,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Feb. 2025
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Nearly 3,000 people were killed over the past week in fighting between a rebel group and Congolese armed forces, the U.N. estimated.—
Natasha Frost,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That’s a defiant stance for a horror movie to take.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
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Pierce answered all of them in resounding, almost defiant, fashion.—
James Boyd,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Step back and look at the shrub and remove any unruly shoots back to a bud or lateral branch that take away from the plant's overall shape.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2025
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In 2024, airlines reported more than 1,240 unruly passenger cases, and the FAA has now referred more than 310 of the most serious cases to the FBI since late 2021.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Or does so only briefly in the ambiguous ending, when Sofia throws off the last vestiges of her passivity and forces her recalcitrant mother into a reckoning with her condition.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Feb. 2025
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In an interview from a factory floor in El Salvador on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that foreign aid spending does not support U.S. aims and that USAID, the main conduit for foreign assistance, has been recalcitrant.—
ByCatherine Offord,
science.org,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But it’s almost carried by an uncontrollable wave that his eighth album arrives, to once again redefine the limits of the genre.—
Billboard France,
Billboard,
14 Feb. 2025
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If deployed in critical applications—such as power grid management or financial trading systems—the potential for unexpected and uncontrollable outcomes would increase significantly.—
Henry Papadatos,
TIME,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Gotthard gave Elizabeth the task of controlling the spoiled, willful, and lazy child.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
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While the record number of willful, malicious or accidental deaths by firearms peaked in 2021, numbers in 2023 remain higher than averages from nearly 10 years ago.—
Graham P. Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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