Synonyms for wayward
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Obstinate — obstinate, contrary and unpredictable
obstinate, disobedient, stubborn, capricious, unruly, willful US, wilful UK, recalcitrant, headstrong, eccentric, impulsive, moody, self-willed, crotchety, sulky, balky, unyielding, refractory, intractable, cross-grained, pertinacious, humorsome US, humoursome UK, petulant
Definitions
- adj. 1
Obstinate, contrary and unpredictable.
- adj. 2
Given to a wilful, perverse deviation from the expected norm; tending to stray.
Related words
- Word family
- waywardness
Choose the right word
Wayward refers to a perverse disregard of morality and duty; froward is practically obsolete; untoward is rarely heard except in certain phrases; as, untoward circumstances.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- stubborn I'm not stubborn; i'm just always right, thats it.
- capricious Everyone is entitled to be capricious now and then.
- obstinate I've heard that Tom and Mary are quite obstinate.
- disobedient Disobedient boys can not be happy in this world.
- vagabond The vagabond, when rich, is called a tourist.
- vagrant If you meet a vagrant or a beggar, it's good to give them some money.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| wayward | rising | |
| stubborn | rising | |
| capricious | falling | |
| obstinate | steady | |
| disobedient | rising | |
| vagabond | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- moody2, sulky, balky2
- 6 letters
- unruly3, wilful
- 7 letters
- willful2, vagrant2
- 8 letters
- contrary3, stubborn2, perverse2, vagabond3, petulant3
- 9 letters
- eccentric3, impulsive3, obstinate3, crotchety3, humorsome
- 10 letters
- refractory4, capricious3, headstrong2, unyielding3, humoursome
- 11 letters
- intractable4, disobedient5
- 12 letters
- recalcitrant4, pertinacious
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (moody2 = 2 syllables).