WILLINGLY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

willingly

adverb

Definition of willingly

as in rather

by choice or preference I would not willingly eat liver, but sometimes I have no choice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in voluntarily

of one's own free will I willingly made the campaign contribution; no one pressured me into doing so

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 willingly Council member Dale Reynolds, who first made the motion to approve the ordinance, questioned whether there was any incentive for the public to willingly register their bikes. — Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 23 Sep. 2026 The front end simply carves into turns with the slightest shift of body position, leaning over willingly enough to eliminate conscious thought and hesitation right out of the gate. — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026 Mahomes willingly sandwiched his body between two defenders for a 15-yard touchdown on a scramble. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 Riggle noted that people may be unaware of the danger that Stewart willingly placed himself in while serving his country. — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 But the very act of putting on a wearable—of willingly adorning oneself with a tiny computerized narc—is an act of surrender. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 If Gluck has willingly conceded to the anti-erotic proclivities of his intended audience, Araki has, naturally, set out to defy them. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 Summary Early healthcare software was willingly adopted for its usefulness, unlike Electronic Health Records (EHRs) which required government mandates and billions in incentives for widespread implementation. — Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Would any of those names willingly jump into a crowded situation? — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for willingly

Adverb

But just moments later, as the name of lead star Andrew Scott appeared on stage, the loud snuffles were replaced with whoops and, in rather uncharacteristically British style, a standing ovation for the actor.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
This is the man who made the two-and-a-half-hour, stream-of-consciousness passion project Bardo (2022), after all, which several critics also found rather abrasive and self-indulgent.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of rather

Adverb

Kwon said the South Korean military removed a North Korean minefield around the blast site on Monday and will remove other North Korean minefields placed south of the border unless North Korea voluntarily eliminates them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Coxon voluntarily testified, and was joined by former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo, who testified under subpoena that the companies may not know when their safety work has failed.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of voluntarily

Adverb

The advice is nearly always the same — wait until after midnight, preferably until the hours before dawn, then give your eyes half an hour to adjust to the darkness.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
In the vlog, Combs noted that his main goal for the hunting trip was to shoot, preferably with a bow, and tag a mature elk.

— Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of preferably

Adverb

For one, the system was demonstrated in simulations, not a full real-world demonstration in which a freely operating robot continuously read someone's EEG and corrected its behavior around the house.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
That behavior resembles a liquid crystal, where molecules can move freely but still maintain directional alignment.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of freely

Adverb

After things go awry in the Congo, the family in The Poisonwood Bible dissolves readily.

— Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
For his part, Khrushchev readily admitted to such behavior in his memoirs, likening his noisy antics to those of revolutionary protesters in the Duma, an imperial Russian legislative body.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of readily

Browse Nearby Words

willing

willingly

willingness

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“Willingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willingly. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of willingly

adverb

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