Meanings
adverbunwillingly (comparative more unwillingly, superlative most unwillingly)
comparative more unwillingly · superlative most unwillingly
- In an unwilling or uncooperative manner.
Mai unwillingly starts her journey, wondering how she, still dependent on her parents, can possibly be a reliable companion to her frail grandmother.
2015 August 5, Cathryn M. Mercier, “‘Listen, Slowly,’ by Thanhha Lai”, in The New York Times
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
adverbin an unwilling manner
Opposite
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From unwilling + -ly or un- + willingly.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian неохотно
- неохотно (neohotno)in an unwilling manner
Chinese Mandarin 不情愿的, 勉强的
- 不情愿的in an unwilling manner
- 勉强的in an unwilling manner
Dutch met tegenzin
- met tegenzinin an unwilling manner
Esperanto kontraŭvole
- kontraŭvolein an unwilling manner
French involontairement
- involontairementin an unwilling manner
German widerwillig, unwillig
- widerwilligin an unwilling manner
- unwilligin an unwilling manner
Greek άθελα
- άθελα (áthela)in an unwilling manner
Hungarian kelletlenül, vonakodva
- kelletlenülin an unwilling manner
- vonakodvain an unwilling manner
- húzódozvain an unwilling manner
- ódzkodvain an unwilling manner
Icelandic ógjarna
- ógjarnain an unwilling manner
Italian svogliatamente, malvolentieri
- svogliatamentein an unwilling manner
- malvolentieriin an unwilling manner
- di malavogliain an unwilling manner
- senza alcun interessein an unwilling manner
Latin invītē
- invītēin an unwilling manner
Portuguese com relutância, a contragosto
- com relutânciain an unwilling manner
- a contragostoin an unwilling manner
- sem vontadein an unwilling manner
- de má vontadein an unwilling manner
- com má vontadein an unwilling manner
Russian неохо́тно, не́хотя
- неохо́тно (neoxótno)in an unwilling manner
- не́хотя (néxotja)in an unwilling manner
Spanish de mala gana, a cara de perro
- de mala ganain an unwilling manner
- a cara de perroin an unwilling manner
- a regañadientesin an unwilling manner
- disgustosamentein an unwilling manner
- malamentein an unwilling manner
- de mala voluntadin an unwilling manner
Swedish ogärna
- ogärnain an unwilling manner
Cite this entry
APA
unwillingly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unwillingly
MLA
“unwillingly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unwillingly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unwillingly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unwillingly.
Source: unwillingly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.