willingness

noun

Definition of willingnessnext
as in enthusiasm
cheerful readiness to do something his unhesitating willingness to take on the tough assignments has earned him the status of the president's right-hand man

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of willingness Cook County leaders have signaled a new willingness to reconsider tax incentives in recent months. — Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 And there were no doubts about his willingness to work to find solutions. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Government bond investors are demanding higher yields on long-term bonds across most countries, which may lead to a shift in markets' willingness to fund large deficits. — Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Their willingness to speak helped ensure that Smith was held accountable. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026 North Korea’s willingness to sustain such losses reflects the reach of Russia’s global alliances and Moscow’s need for extra manpower. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 The short put requires willingness to own AVGO at $320 (roughly 12% below current levels), a level that would represent an even deeper discount to the Street's average target. — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 The deal came as Washington increased pressure on neighboring Rwanda over its support for M23 rebels, a dynamic analysts say may help explain Congo’s willingness to cooperate. — Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Factors that have played an important role are community engagement and residents’ willingness to provide information about cases. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willingness
  1. enthusiasm
  2. alacrity
  3. goodwill
  4. zeal
  5. eagerness
  6. gameness
Noun
  • Wang’s remarks underscore the gap between investor enthusiasm for humanoid robots and their current commercial capabilities.
    — Anniek Bao,Jenni Reid,Jenny Lee, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Alice presents two ideas, one delivered without any enthusiasm, the other dropped as a joke.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of enthusiasm
Noun
  • Quenneville and Killorn emphasized enthusiasm and alacrity, with Killorn cautioning against attention to detail transforming into something more obsessive.
    — Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
  • But alacrity was possible because drafting the Declaration required no study.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Definition of alacrity
Noun
  • The derby remains a season-definer and two bad results cost Howe a chunk of goodwill.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • This intricate partnership, though, was born less out of goodwill but necessity.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of goodwill
Noun
  • Fueled by affection for Gramps, by nostalgia for a childhood steeped in whiskymaking lore, and by a distinct lack of zeal for his law-firm day job, Kevin agrees to drive him the 2,000-odd miles from Arizona.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • But the current efflorescence can perhaps most be credited to the zeal of online communities whose social dynamics encourage avid, savvy viewership.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of zeal
Noun
  • Yet, for all that seeming eagerness to mend the relationship, at least one Diamondbacks player let on about the mood in the clubhouse.
    — Marc Carig, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Suddenly, her parents’ cheerful transparency—their coarse jokes, their eagerness to name things that should not be named—appeared to Nidhi in a faintly embarrassing light.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of eagerness
Noun
  • Still, Joe’s criticism of Nathan’s negative energy is fair, particularly when his defeatist attitude is contrasted with Aesha’s absolute gameness.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026
  • De Shields arrived first, wearing a buffalo-plaid toque and a mien of utter gameness.
    — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of gameness

Browse Nearby Words

willingly
willingness
williwaw
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Willingness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willingness. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 devolve

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All