be an unwilling participant

/bi ən ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ pɑːrˈtɪsɪpənt/

verb phrase

  1. to take part in something without wanting to, often because you have no real choice or feel pressured

    B2

    often used as 'be an unwilling participant in something'; pattern: be + an unwilling participant in somethingneutral

    • "She was an unwilling participant in the game, but she still smiled."A2
    • "He felt like an unwilling participant in the family argument."B1
    • "Many employees became unwilling participants in the scheme because they feared losing their jobs."B2
    • "The residents were unwilling participants in an experiment they had never agreed to join."C1

Common mistakes

  • be a unwilling participant→be an unwilling participant

    Use 'an' before 'unwilling' because it begins with a vowel sound.

Collocations

unwilling participantreluctant participantunwilling participant in an experimentunwilling participant in a conflict

Word family

unwillingwillingparticipantparticipateparticipationunwillingly