wayward

adjective

way·ward ˈwā-wərd

Synonyms of wayward

: following one's own capricious, wanton, or depraved inclinations : ungovernable

a wayward child

: following no clear principle or law : unpredictable

: opposite to what is desired or expected : untoward

wayward fate

waywardly adverb

waywardness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for wayward

contrary, perverse, restive, balky, wayward mean inclined to resist authority or control.

contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

Examples of wayward in a Sentence

parents of a wayward teenager had always been the most wayward of their three children

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

In Season 2, a boxer on the rise named Danny Moon (Jin Ha) hires Sugar to find his missing, wayward brother, Ji-Seok (Raymond Lee). — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 Earlier this week, a piece of a SpaceX rocket joined the ranks of space rocks and other wayward spacecraft that have slammed into the moon and become permanent fixtures of our celestial neighbor's surface. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 The plane — heading from Orlando to a golf tournament in Texas— failed to make radio contact or respond to the fighter jets scrambled to intercept it along its wayward course. — Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, 26 July 2026 There is a wayward consultant class that will back anyone to win because winning achieves personal ambitions for power and money. — Maria Comella, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wayward

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, short for awayward turned away, from away, adverb + -ward

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of wayward was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wayward. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

wayward

adjective

way·ward ˈwā-wərd

: tending to do as one pleases : disobedient

wayward children

: not following a rule or regular course of action

waywardly adverb

waywardness noun

wayward

adjective

Synonyms of wayward

Examples of wayward in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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