UNWILLING Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

unwilling

adjective

ˌən-ˈwi-liŋ

Definition of unwilling

as in forced

not made or done willingly or by choice unwilling contributions from city employees who felt pressured to do so

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unwilling Or were certain companies unwilling to take on the incendiary film due to their increasingly direct connections to Big Tech? — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 If vendors or third parties are unwilling to remove the skill game machines from a business, owners should contact PSP for assistance. — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026 Owners are reluctant to list at valuations the market is prepared to accept, while investors are unwilling to pay higher prices after a year of losses on most new listings. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 Resilient global growth, sticky inflation, voracious private and government demand for debt, central banks unwilling to look through high oil prices, vague but palpable fiscal worries. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unwilling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwilling

Adjective

The most recent tariff was launched as part of a broader global campaign targeting trading partners Washington says have failed to restrict forced labor.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
The sparkle in her eyes had dulled and her smile seemed forced.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of forced

Adjective

Harris also helped shape the movie’s imagination sequences, pushing Pixar’s artists toward more spontaneous, painterly images rather than the studio’s usual meticulous realism.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Johnson’s initial connection with EY CEO and Global Chair Janet Truncale was a spontaneous one.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of spontaneous

Adjective

The task for the printmakers, led by Erik Hougen, Jeremy Ruiz, and Tom Smith, was to reproduce the jottings, corrections, and accidental smears on Safdie’s notecard as faithfully as possible, and also to scale it up in size.

— Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Good news for Boeing, but could this accidental monopoly be a potential disaster waiting to happen?

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of accidental

Adjective

Human rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of denying defendants due process, relying on coerced confessions and carrying out executions after unfair trials.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Such coerced displacement did not — and could not — extinguish rights guaranteed by a still-valid agreement.

— Shaun Chapoose, Denver Post, 20 May 2026

Definition of coerced

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unwilled

unwilling

unwillingly

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“Unwilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwilling. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unwilling

adjective

Example Sentences

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Cite this Entry

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