reluctant
Americanadjective
-
not eager; unwilling; disinclined
-
archaic offering resistance or opposition
Synonym Usage
Reluctant, loath, averse describe disinclination toward something. Reluctant implies some sort of mental struggle, as between disinclination and sense of duty: reluctant to expel students. Loath describes extreme disinclination: loath to part from a friend. Averse, used with to and a noun or a gerund, describes a long-held dislike or unwillingness, though not a particularly strong feeling: averse to an idea; averse to getting up early.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of reluctant
First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin reluctant- (stem of reluctāns ), present participle of reluctārī; see reluct, -ant
Compare meaning
How does reluctant compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If the adjective reluctant applies to you, it means that you are undergoing some inner struggle and are unwilling or unable to decide. The word reluctant comes from the Latin reluctantem, which means "to struggle against." These days reluctant means "unwilling." If you’re reluctant to dance to a terrible song, you’re unwilling to whirl and twirl, and you might even have to struggle against your friends who try to get you on the dance floor. You might offer them a reluctant smile instead (and hope it doesn’t look like a grimace).
Vocabulary lists containing reluctant
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appeared in the November 13, 2025, print edition as 'A Reluctant Spy, Entangled Again'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025
Reluctant to break the spell, Remi said nothing.
From Slate • Jan. 27, 2024
Reluctant and visibly distressed residents allowed a female police officer into their homes to verify the identification of women and children as well.
From Reuters • Nov. 21, 2023
Her previous books - The Unclean, The Reluctant Dead and Dead Corpse - reveal Onoh's profound interest in the relationship between the living and the dead.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2023
Reluctant to wake him, I returned to the steps to stay on guard.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
