adj
wayward
WAY-wuhd
adj
1
Stubbornly doing things one's own way, ignoring rules or expectations.
"The wayward teenager kept skipping school despite every warning."
"Her wayward brother had drifted from job to job for years."
How to Use Wayward
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDescribes someone (or something, like a wayward shot) that goes off in its own unpredictable, disobedient direction.
Common pairings
wayward child
wayward son
wayward path
Word Forms
more wayward comparative, waywards plural, most wayward superlative
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The _____ teenager kept skipping school despite every warning.
Etymology
A shortening of "away" plus "-ward," originally meaning turned away from expected behaviour.