willing

adjective

will·​ing ˈwi-liŋ How to pronounce willing (audio)
Synonyms of willing
1
: inclined or favorably disposed in mind : ready
willing and eager to help
2
: prompt to act or respond
lending a willing hand
3
: done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance
a willing sacrifice
4
: of or relating to the will or power of choosing : volitional
willingly
ˈwi-liŋ-lē How to pronounce willing (audio)
adverb
willingness noun

Synonyms of willing

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for willing

voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will.

voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

Examples of willing in a Sentence

He was a willing participant in the crime. She's lending a willing hand.
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.
Outside money may only show up because Nvidia is willing to cover part of the downside. — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Financing even half of that will require up to $32 billion in debt, more than the kingdom’s banks are likely to be willing to assemble themselves, according to a report from consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026 In order to secure that rate, savers will need to be willing to lock their money into the account until the term has matured. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 But in Southern California’s wealthy foothill enclaves, event promoters are regularly transforming these types of regal estates into weekend party houses filled with young people who are willing to pay to enter. — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for willing

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of willing was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing willing

Rhymes for willing

See All Rhymes for willing

Browse Nearby Words

willie-waught
willing
willinghearted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Willing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/willing. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

willing

adjective
will·​ing ˈwil-iŋ How to pronounce willing (audio)
1
: feeling no objection : ready
willing to go
2
: prompt to act or respond
willing workers
3
: done, made, or given by choice
a willing sacrifice
willingly adverb
willingness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on willing

Nglish: Translation of willing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All