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unobliging

unobliging

7.8
Not willing to help others or do small favors
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnəˈblaɪdʒɪŋ/
translation icon : desconsiderado
  • The customer service representative was unobliging and refused to help with my issue.

Examples

  • Sorry to be so unobliging.

  • The thesaurus is most unobliging in this matter.

    Blog text (27)
  • He was very unobliging when asked for assistance with the project.

  • Her unobliging attitude made it difficult for the team to collaborate effectively.

Synonyms

uncooperative
vsunobliging
22 4.5

Not willing to help or work with others

is wider, covering not helping beyond teamwork situations
disobliging
vsunobliging
1 8.1

Not willing to help others or do them favors

is the broader refusal that may not always be intentional
unaccommodating
vsunobliging
7.0

Not willing to help or change plans for others

focuses more on refusing to do favors or be helpful

Antonyms

3 4.1

Helpful and willing to do kind things for others

How Helpful

obliging
3 4.1
helpful
689 1.0
reluctant
247 3.5
unobliging
7.8
uncooperative
22 4.5
obstructive
6 6.2

Surface Forms

unobliging positive

Morphology

unobliging = obliging (transparent) = un + oblige + ing

The negative prefix 'un-' is directly attached to the adjective 'obliging' producing the opposite meaning in a standard and regular way.

Etymology

The word unobliging begins with un- meaning 'not' and comes from oblige, a word that once meant 'to bind' and later came to mean 'to do a favor'. So unobliging describes someone who is not willing to help or do favors.