English Reference
Adjective

unwilling

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ənˈwɪɫɪŋ/ UK /ʌnwˈɪlɪŋ/ un·will·ing

adj.not wanting to do something. You use this when you have to do a task but you really do not want to.

adj.not ready, eager, or prepared to do something; hesitant or resistant. Often used to describe a person who performs an action only because they are forced or pressured.


SIMPLE

He was unwilling to help with the heavy lifting.

CONTEXTUAL

The witness was unwilling to testify in court until the police promised to protect his identity.

COMPLEX

Despite the generous severance package, many senior staff members remained unwilling to relocate to the new headquarters, citing deep-rooted ties to the local community.

Usage

Commonly followed by a 'to' + infinitive construction.

Pitfall
he is unwilling of goinghe is unwilling to go

Unwilling is followed by a 'to-infinitive', not the preposition 'of' with a gerund.

Young people are coming out of university unable to get on to the housing ladder, unable and unwilling to get married, unable to start a family.

The Guardian· 20 Aug 2026

State and local officials were unwilling to provide such funds for what was a generally unpopular cause.

Smithsonian Magazine· 16 Jun 2026

From un- + willing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated