WAYWARD Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'wayward' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wayward are balky , contrary , perverse , and restive . While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior. // a school for wayward youths

Q: When can 'balky' be used instead of 'wayward'?

The synonyms balky and wayward are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action. // a balky witness

Q: When would 'contrary' be a good substitute for 'wayward'?

The meanings of contrary and wayward largely overlap; however, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice. // a contrary child

Q: When might 'perverse' be a better fit than 'wayward'?

While the synonyms perverse and wayward are close in meaning, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal. // a perverse , intractable critic

Q: In what contexts can 'restive' take the place of 'wayward'?

The words restive and wayward are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders. // tired soldiers growing restive

wayward

adjective

ˈwā-wərd

Definition of wayward

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

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others an institution to which wayward teens were often sent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective wayward contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wayward are balky, contrary, perverse, and restive. While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

When can balky be used instead of wayward?

The synonyms balky and wayward are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

When would contrary be a good substitute for wayward?

The meanings of contrary and wayward largely overlap; however, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

When might perverse be a better fit than wayward?

While the synonyms perverse and wayward are close in meaning, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

In what contexts can restive take the place of wayward?

The words restive and wayward are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

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 wayward On the one hand, Ema is the only one willing to lend all those wayward souls a moment of her time. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 Set against the remains of a city frozen in time, these teens — in all their wayward, horny, semi-philosphical, and frustrated ennui — hurtle toward a future unknown. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026 Of course the playwright has prepared the way, but the wayward emotions emanating from these inwardly glowing performances are refreshing in work that has the crisp, circumscribed elegance of a mathematical proof. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The slight downbeat in 2019-20 can be blamed on luck, although a wayward 20 minutes with James Neal didn’t help. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wayward

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward

Adjective

The shoes appeared similar to the popular DSquared 2 Riri heeled sandals, which are also a sleek, seductive and rebellious style with towering heels and straps that wrap around the foot and ankle with super-thin leather ties.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Suzanne’s kind of rebellious temperament brought a lucidity to that character.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

Capturing towns and roads would hamper Tigrayan fighters without necessarily securing the vast rural areas where the rebel forces regrouped during the previous war, Taylor said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Main roads leading Yemen’s third-largest city have been closed amid rebel attacks, with regular clashes on the outskirts and overnight bombardment.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

The vast crowds that once watched the killings would often become unruly.

— the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there have been 1,331 reports of unruly passengers on airplanes so far this year.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of unruly

Adjective

From men wearing pink to push back against the pressures of toxic masculinity to women pushing back against unrealistic body standards, pink has become a color of defiant empathy.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Hazlewood broke the defiant stand between Markram and Wiaan Mulder that started late Monday and endured for nearly two more hours on Tuesday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of defiant

Adjective

Brian is a gee-whiz irritant, with a reckless attachment to the family’s conveniently recalcitrant dog and a knack for making dangerous situations worse.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
In their recalcitrant way, the balance tips more toward the sentimental than the cynical.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2026

Definition of recalcitrant

Adjective

When energy is left stranded in a battery that becomes submerged in salt water, that can lead to a short circuit and an uncontrollable increase in temperature.

— Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Elementary school students may have tantrums, be clingy, have toileting accidents, engage in uncontrollable crying or become less talkative as a result of changes in schools, homes and caregivers.

— Nikki R Wooten, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncontrollable

Adjective

If your debt is unmanageable, check with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling to see if a debt management plan might help.

— Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Without the right architecture, cloud and connectivity costs could become unmanageable, limiting the benefits of the AI era.

— David Kelly, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of unmanageable

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

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