- 1
Behaving badly and not doing what you are told — but with a particular flavour. A wayward person is not evil; they simply will not be steered.
Behaving badly and not doing what you are told行為不良、不聽指示 but with a particular flavour但帶著一種特別的味道 A wayward person is not evilA wayward（任性的）人並不是壞 they simply will not be steered他們只是不肯被人牽著走
The word is used most often about young people who worry the adults around them: a wayward son, a wayward student, a wayward teenager who keeps disappearing at night. There is usually a hint of sadness or affection in it, as if the speaker still hopes the person will come back to the right road. That is why churches and schools use it — 'a wayward child' sounds much gentler than 'a bad child'.
The word is used most often about young people who worry the adults around them這個字最常用在讓身邊大人擔心的年輕人身上 a wayward sona wayward son（不聽話的兒子） a wayward studenta wayward student（不受管教的學生） a wayward teenager who keeps disappearing at nighta wayward teenager（老是晚上不見人影的叛逆青少年） There is usually a hint of sadness or affection in it裡面通常帶著一點難過或疼惜 as if the speaker still hopes the person will come back to the right road好像說話的人還是希望那個人能回到正軌 That is why churches and schools use it這就是為什麼教會和學校會用它 'a wayward child' sounds much gentler than 'a bad child''a wayward child'聽起來比'a bad child'溫和多了
It also stretches to things that will not behave: a wayward strand of hair that keeps falling in your eyes, a wayward ball, a wayward shot in football that flies nowhere near the goal. Here it just means 'going where it should not, in a way nobody planned'.
It also stretches to things that will not behave它也延伸到那些不聽使喚的東西 a wayward strand of hair that keeps falling in your eyesa wayward strand of hair（老是掉到眼睛前的一撮頭髮） a wayward balla wayward ball（亂飛的球） a wayward shot in football that flies nowhere near the goal足球裡a wayward shot（一腳完全偏離球門的射門） Here it just means這裡它就只是指 'going where it should not, in a way nobody planned'「跑到不該去的地方，而且沒人計畫過」
And it can describe a mind or a life that keeps wandering off — 'his wayward career', 'her wayward imagination' — where the tone can even be . The register is a little literary; in casual speech people say 'difficult' or 'out of control'.
And it can describe a mind or a life that keeps wandering off它也可以形容一個不斷遊蕩、飄忽不定的心思或人生 'his wayward career''his wayward career'（他起伏不定的職涯） 'her wayward imagination''her wayward imagination'（她天馬行空的想像力） where the tone can even be admiring這時候語氣甚至可以是讚賞的 The register is a little literary這個字的語體有點文學性 in casual speech people say 'difficult' or 'out of control'日常說話裡人們會說'difficult'或'out of control'
組成This one is a nice surprise: it is a shortening of away + -ward（朝…方向）. So it originally meant 'turned away' — facing off in the wrong direction. The -ward part is the same one in toward, backward, and homeward.
原始詞典資料4 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
waywardadj/ˈweɪwə(ɹ)d/
- 1
Given to a wilful, perverse deviation from the expected norm; tending to stray.
- He is a brilliant fellow when he chooses to work—one of the brightest intellects of the University, but he is wayward, dissipated, and unprincipled.
- Fancies are like shadows . . . you can’t cage them, they’re such wayward, dancing things.
- 2
Obstinate, contrary and unpredictable.
- 3
hobbieslifestylesportsNot on target.
- Bulgaria's only attacking weapon was the wayward shooting of Martin Petrov, whereas England's attacking options were awash with movement in the shape of Rooney, Young and Walcott.
waywardnoun/ˈweɪwə(ɹ)d/
- 1
datedSomeone, especially a young woman or girl, who is wayward.
- the wild, half-starved youth whom we style incorrigibles, delinquents, and waywards
- The girls classed as first offenders and waywards gave a higher intelligence quotient than the others.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。