unwilling

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ willing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪlɪŋ

Adjective

unwilling (comparative more unwilling, superlative most unwilling)

1. Not willing; reluctant

   an unwilling servant

   We are unwilling to restore his previous privileges after his betrayal of our trust.

   • 1948 January and February, “British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 1:

     There was a prevailing fear of the effect of large undertakings becoming monopolistic, and Parliament showed itself unwilling to sanction any large groupings.

   • 1960 March, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 184:

     [...] but in the damp conditions prevailing the driver sensibly was unwilling to attempt the climb up through Combe Down tunnel without help, for fear of slipping to a standstill in the unventilated bore, [...].

Derived terms

• unwillingly (adverb)

Translations

not willing; reluctant

• Bulgarian: неохотен (bg) (neohoten)
• Catalan: reaci
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不情願／不情愿 (bù qíngyuàn)

• Czech: neochotný (cs) m
• Finnish: haluton (fi), vastahakoinen (fi)
• French: réticent (fr)
• German: unwillig (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἄκων (ákōn)

• Irish: drogallach
• Latin: invītus
• Manx: neuaignagh, neuarryltagh, neuwooiagh
• Maori: ngākaukore, whakatohetohe, horokukū, whakawhēuaua, korongata, manawapā, horokukū, kōroiroi
• Persian: بی‌میل (bi-meyl)
• Polish: niechętny (pl), niełatwy (pl), nieskłonny
• Portuguese: indisposto
• Russian: нерасполо́женный (ru) (neraspolóžennyj), нескло́нный (ru) (nesklónnyj), неохо́тный (ru) (neoxótnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: aindeònach, leisg
• Spanish: involuntario (es), reticente (es), indispuesto (es), renitente (es)
• Turkish: gönülsüz (tr), isteksiz (tr), hevessiz (tr)