Synonyms for unwilling
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not willing; reluctant
We are unwilling to restore his previous privileges after his betrayal of our trust.
Choose the right word
A man is loath to believe evil of his friend, reluctant to speak of it, absolutely unwilling to use it to his injury.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- reluctant Some soldiers were reluctant to obey the commands.
- averse Some of my friends are strongly averse to AI.
- loath AI companies are loath to reveal their secret sauce.
- disinclined I am not at all disinclined to have a glass of good wine.
- reticent He is reticent and he never speaks unless spoken to.
- indisposed His speech indisposed us to finish the work any more.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| unwilling | steady | |
| reluctant | steady | |
| averse | rising | |
| loath | steady | |
| disinclined | steady | |
| reticent | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- loth1
- 5 letters
- loath1
- 6 letters
- averse2
- 7 letters
- opposed2
- 8 letters
- backward2, reticent3
- 9 letters
- reluctant3
- 10 letters
- indisposed
- 11 letters
- involuntary5, disinclined3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (averse2 = 2 syllables).