UNWILLINGNESS Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

unwillingness

noun

Definition of unwillingness

as in reluctance

a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something your unwillingness to help with the cooking means that you won't be sharing in the eating

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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 unwillingness Good leadership requires enough curiosity to distinguish unwillingness from overload. — Shahrzad Jalali, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Hinds was a big, sometimes difficult personality, with an easy laugh and a large tribal tattoo across his face, plus a general unwillingness to compromise. — Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 In recent months, some militant settlers are ramping up their campaign to violently drive out the Palestinians who live there -- often with impunity -- the Israeli government showing an unwillingness to crack down on the violence. — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026 But play-in seems the ceiling in light of Davis’ inability to stay healthy, Young’s regression in recent years and this team’s unwillingness to play much defense last season. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 Being too drunk or high only becomes relevant if the victim was drugged without her consent or knowledge or was unconscious (or otherwise physically unable to communicate unwillingness). — Ilana Turko, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026 Blame it on a young man’s unwillingness to publicly convey self-doubt. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2026 So real reform that is bipartisan has been left on the shelf amidst rising healthcare costs because of the governor’s unwillingness and failure of leadership, and that’s what matters to Connecticut residents – results. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026 This is a trend that began long before Trump—and has been sustained in part by the Democrats’ unwillingness to reverse Republicans’ tax cuts. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwillingness

reluctance

Noun

Against that backdrop, the royal visit signals that Spain is shedding its longstanding reluctance to send its monarchs to the exclaves, Amirah-Fernández said.

— JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Still, shares fell almost 3% despite the solid results, reflecting investors' reluctance to reward even better-than-expected earnings amid broader concerns about the banking sector.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of reluctance

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unwillingly

unwillingness

unwind

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

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Synonyms of unwillingness

noun

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