willingness

IPA/ˈwɪlɪŋnəs/
KK[wˈɪlɪŋnəs]IPA/ˈwɪlɪŋnəs/

willingness — noun

1. the attitude or feeling of being ready and glad to do something that is asked or

1.nounB2
Definition

the attitude or feeling of being ready and glad to do something that is asked or expected

Example

Mira showed a clear willingness to help her classmates with their maths homework.

willingness + to-infinitive for showing readiness to help

The manager praised Tomás for his willingness to take on extra responsibilities.

Common collocations
  • express willingness
  • show willingness
  • demonstrate willingness
  • indicate willingness
  • signal willingness
  • lack of willingness
  • genuine willingness
  • clear willingness
  • strong willingness
Synonyms
  • readiness

    focuses on being prepared and able, slightly less emotional than willingness

  • eagerness

    stronger enthusiasm; suggests active desire rather than just consent

  • openness

    suggests a receptive attitude, often used with new ideas or experiences

  • enthusiasm

    strong positive energy; less about duty and more about genuine excitement

Antonyms
  • unwillingness

    the direct opposite: refusal or resistance to do something

  • reluctance

    hesitation or slowness to act; less absolute than unwillingness

Grammar Patterns

willingness + to-infinitive

willingness + for + noun phrase

Usage Note

This noun is most often followed by a to-infinitive that specifies the action someone is willing to take. Common verbs that introduce willingness are show, express, demonstrate, and indicate. The possessive form (his/her/their/its willingness) is very frequent.

Common Mistakes

I have willingness to help.
I am willing to help.
In everyday speech, the adjective willing + to-infinitive sounds more natural than the noun form.
He showed willingness for helping.
He showed willingness to help.
Willingness takes a to-infinitive, not the preposition for + gerund.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Willingness is the most general term — it simply means being ready and glad to do what is asked, without resistance. Readiness adds a sense of preparation: you have made the necessary arrangements or are mentally set. Eagerness implies a stronger, more impatient desire to act, often driven by personal interest. Enthusiasm suggests passionate excitement and positive energy, going beyond mere duty. For example, someone may show willingness to attend a meeting (they agree to go), readiness to present the results (they have prepared), eagerness to speak first (they want to), and enthusiasm for the project overall (they genuinely care about it).

willingness ↗readiness ↗eagerness ↗enthusiasm ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • expression of willingness
  • sign of willingness
  • lack of willingness
  • degree of willingness
  • statement of willingness

Adverbs

  • genuinely willing
  • clearly willing
  • perfectly willing
  • quite willing

Phrases

  • show a willingness to
  • express a willingness to
  • demonstrate a willingness to
  • indicate a willingness to
  • signal a willingness to

Prepositions

  • willingness for
  • willingness of
  • willingness among

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Willingness comes from the Old English verb willian (meaning 'to wish' or 'to desire'), combined with the adjective suffix -ing and the noun suffix -ness. The adjective willing first appeared in the 14th century with the sense 'ready to act', and willingness (the noun form) followed soon after.