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WILLINGNESS
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Cheerful compliance
Example:
he expressed his willingness to help
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("willingness" is a kind of...):
disposition; temperament (your usual mood)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "willingness"):
eagerness; forwardness; readiness; zeal (prompt willingness)
openness; receptiveness; receptivity (willingness or readiness to receive (especially impressions or ideas))
wholeheartedness (undivided commitment or unreserved enthusiasm)
Antonym:
unwillingness (the trait of being unwilling)
Derivation:
willing (disposed or inclined toward)
Context examples:
Presuming however, that this studied avoidance spoke rather a momentary embarrassment than any dislike of the proposal, and seeing in her husband, who was fond of society, a perfect willingness to accept it, she ventured to engage for her attendance, and the day after the next was fixed on.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
The best part is that after Saturn departs on December 16, 2020, he will leave a gift by the door, as is usual for Saturn, as thanks for your dedication and willingness to deal with his rigors.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
He continued his plodding pursuit, though once, for the moment baffled, he came to a full stop and blinked at the men who looked on, at the same time wagging his stump of a tail as an expression of his willingness to fight.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
He had nothing to urge against it, but still resisted the idea of a letter of proper submission; and therefore, to make it easier to him, as he declared a much greater willingness to make mean concessions by word of mouth than on paper, it was resolved that, instead of writing to Fanny, he should go to London, and personally intreat her good offices in his favour.
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
To do him justice, however, he did not resolve to appropriate it; for remembering that there was some very good ranting-ground in Frederick, he professed an equal willingness for that.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
In terms of grateful acknowledgment for the kindness of his brother, though expressed most concisely, he then delivered on paper his perfect approbation of all that was done, and his willingness to fulfil the engagements that had been made for him.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
On the present occasion she addressed herself chiefly to Miss Crawford and Fanny, but there was no comparison in the willingness of their attention; for Miss Crawford, who had seen scores of great houses, and cared for none of them, had only the appearance of civilly listening, while Fanny, to whom everything was almost as interesting as it was new, attended with unaffected earnestness to all that Mrs. Rushworth could relate of the family in former times, its rise and grandeur, regal visits and loyal efforts, delighted to connect anything with history already known, or warm her imagination with scenes of the past.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
