unwilling

adjective

un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ How to pronounce unwilling (audio)
: not willing:
a
: loath, reluctant
was unwilling to learn
b
: done or given reluctantly
unwilling approval
c
: offering opposition : obstinate
an unwilling student
unwillingly adverb
unwillingness noun

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 For gay audiences, his existence, rarely in the thick of the action but rather just next door to it, offered, at its best, a brief glimpse into a universe of possibilities — a universe that mainstream culture was still unwilling to enter more immersively. Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 On Wednesday, the Democratic conference committee members were replaced by Republicans, which likely means the Democrats were unwilling to sign off on the final version. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Many of her supporters are currently unwilling to back the former president, which could cause him problems in the general election, exit polls have shown. Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 California can no longer afford leaders who are unwilling to attack our biggest problems head on. Liz Perlman, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Trump has sought to push the trial back until after the general election, but proposed an August start date in a court filing Thursday if Cannon’s unwilling to push it back past November. Alison Durkee, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 In many cases, apartment owners have been trapped in unsellable homes—mortgage providers are unwilling to lend to buyers for properties without certification that their external walls are safe. Alex Christian, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2024 Alabama's ruling raises questions about what happens to those unused embryos in storage, whether authorities could order them to be implanted in unwilling parents or bring child abuse charges, and what happens if a doctor implants embryos that fail to develop. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Although each deal is different, companies offering appeal bonds might be unwilling to take Trump's property as collateral, especially if a building already has a mortgage, experts said. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unwilling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unwilling was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near unwilling

Cite this Entry

“Unwilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwilling. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unwilling

adjective
un·​will·​ing ˌən-ˈwil-iŋ How to pronounce unwilling (audio)
ˈən-
: not willing
unwillingly adverb
unwillingness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unwilling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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