Unwilling Meaning
/ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjNot willing; reluctant
Sentence Examples
It is not that I am unwilling, but that I have no time.
Anyone who is unwilling to read does not understand the joy of reading.
Some people are unwilling to attend the classes partly because of the cost involved.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The student was ____ to do the homework and refused to even start.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was ____ to accept the offer because she felt it did not provide enough opportunities for her career growth today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English willing English unwilling From un- + willing.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"There was a prevailing fear of the effect of large undertakings becoming monopolistic, and Parliament showed itself unwilling to sanction any large groupings."
— 1948 January and February, “British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 1:
"[...] 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, [...]."
— 1960 March, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 184:
"My son, a Canada-based IT professional who often travels to Ukraine, told me about the exhilarating atmosphere on those Ukraine-bound trains, bringing home hundreds of the unwilling refugees, mostly women and children (including the babies, born in exile on the way to meet their Ukrainian fighter fathers for the first time). The difference between Ukrainian refugees and other reluctant exiles is that Ukrainians are desperate to return."
— 2024 September 4, Vitali Vitaliev, “A salute to Ukraine's 'Second Army'”, in RAIL, number 1017, page 49:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The student was ____ to do the homework and refused to even start.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was ____ to accept the offer because she felt it did not provide enough opportunities for her career growth today.