WAYWARD Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'wayward' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wayward are balky , contrary , perverse , and restive . While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior. // a school for wayward youths

Q: When can 'balky' be used instead of 'wayward'?

The synonyms balky and wayward are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action. // a balky witness

Q: When would 'contrary' be a good substitute for 'wayward'?

The meanings of contrary and wayward largely overlap; however, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice. // a contrary child

Q: When might 'perverse' be a better fit than 'wayward'?

While the synonyms perverse and wayward are close in meaning, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal. // a perverse , intractable critic

Q: In what contexts can 'restive' take the place of 'wayward'?

The words restive and wayward are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders. // tired soldiers growing restive

wayward

adjective

ˈwā-wərd

Definition of wayward

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control had always been the most wayward of their three children

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stubborn

given to resisting control or discipline by others an institution to which wayward teens were often sent

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective wayward contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wayward are balky, contrary, perverse, and restive. While all these words mean "inclined to resist authority or control," wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

When can balky be used instead of wayward?

The synonyms balky and wayward are sometimes interchangeable, but balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

When would contrary be a good substitute for wayward?

The meanings of contrary and wayward largely overlap; however, contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

When might perverse be a better fit than wayward?

While the synonyms perverse and wayward are close in meaning, perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

In what contexts can restive take the place of wayward?

The words restive and wayward are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

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 wayward The Legislature has repeatedly rejected stiffer criminal penalties for wayward operators and stymied efforts to let cities or counties pick up enforcement slack when state inspectors are overburdened. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 July 2026 The National Fire Protection Association encourages everyone to leave the fireworks to the professionals who are prepared to manage any wayward sparks. — Lauren Lowman, The Conversation, 29 June 2026 Power brings a warmer and more wayward sensibility to such material than, say, the German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, whose deadpan grids of coal tipples and water towers drained industrial structures of affect. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 23 June 2026 Booing in the National Women’s Soccer League and the Women’s Super League in the UK, for example, is more likely to be aimed at a referee’s wayward decision than an opponent. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for wayward

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward

Adjective

For seven seasons, a hodgepodge crew mixing Starfleet and the rebellious Maquis put aside their differences after they got zapped 70,000 lightyears away from Earth, deep into the uncharted Delta Quadrant.

— Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

Colombia earned its passage into the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over stubborn Ghana.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Pickle Robot’s Physical AI unloaders tackle the dock door bottleneck, which is a stubborn pain point in inbound logistics, while AmbiStack handles the structured, high-volume stacking that feeds downstream operations.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 July 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

In early 2025, fighting broke out between Congolese authorities and groups led by the rebel paramilitary group M23.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026
In the middle of the developments are are lawyer Wayne Hsiung and rebel Rose Patterson, who through the process of filming, fell in love, got married and adopted James, a dog rescued from the facility in March.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 July 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

Several North Lake Tahoe beaches will be closed Saturday evening during the July 4 holiday due to what law enforcement officials described as unruly crowds of visiting teenagers.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
Britain, arguably, decided to cut its losses with the unruly thirteen colonies to better safeguard its more lucrative possessions in the Caribbean and South Asia.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

Definition of unruly

Adjective

Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.

— Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026

Definition of recalcitrant

Adjective

The jealousy that emanates from every pore of this guy is uncontrollable.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026
An uncontrollable laugh when tickled is vastly different from a polite laugh in a meeting, an infectious laugh during a movie, or a nervous little giggle after making a mistake.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 June 2026

Definition of uncontrollable

Adjective

In 2018, the IRS closed the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), ending the formal disclosure program designed primarily for taxpayers with potential criminal exposure or willful violations relating to unreported offshore holdings.

— Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Federal law generally prohibits direct service connection for addiction classified as resulting from willful misconduct.

— Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 June 2026

Definition of willful

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“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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