Word
wayward
Phoneticsway·ward
US/ˈweɪwɝd/
UK/wˈeɪwəd/
Definition
adj. difficult to control or predict. You use this to describe someone or something that does not follow the rules or goes in the wrong direction.
adj. difficult to control or predict because of a lack of discipline or a tendency to deviate from an intended path. Often describes behavior, children, or physical objects like a ball or a strand of hair.
Examples
“The wayward ball flew over the fence and into the street.”
“The coach struggled to manage the wayward players who frequently missed practice and ignored his instructions.”
“The novel follows the journey of a wayward youth who leaves his quiet village to seek adventure, only to find himself entangled in a series of unfortunate misunderstandings.”
Examples
simple
“The wayward ball flew over the fence and into the street.”
contextual
“The coach struggled to manage the wayward players who frequently missed practice and ignored his instructions.”
complex
“The novel follows the journey of a wayward youth who leaves his quiet village to seek adventure, only to find himself entangled in a series of unfortunate misunderstandings.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun; can be used predicatively after linking verbs like 'become' or 'remain'.
Real-World Examples
“Gibney was “a wayward film-maker in search of a career” who had made a few TV documentaries and was trying to write some scripts.” “His deft comic touch is not only essential in maintaining tonal balance, but important in suggesting what these four wayward boys mean to each other.” Etymology
Shortening of away + -ward.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/wayward