reluctantly
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of reluctantly
Explanation
Reluctantly means "with hesitation, doubt or dread." You might reluctantly walk into the dentist's office for your appointment, knowing that you will soon feel the pain of a root canal. Ouch! The adverb reluctantly comes from the root word reluctant, meaning "unwilling, disinclined." When you do something reluctantly, you don't really want to do it. For example, if you answer a question reluctantly, you will first stall or try to change the subject. If your friend reluctantly agreed to help you move to your new house, you know she felt obligated to say "yes." Better buy her dinner, at the very least.
Vocabulary lists containing reluctantly
"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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Number the Stars
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Nothing But the Truth
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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.
Reluctantly, she put her mom in a memory care home, which was less expensive.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024
Reluctantly, Rodriguez returned to first base, and a few moments later was thrown out attempting to steal second base again, ending the top of the first inning.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 5, 2023
Reluctantly, she said, she is moving to California this summer to work at a new clinic where the treatment is allowed.
From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2023
Reluctantly, because I'm always a Canadian on American soil, and thus uninsured.
From Salon • Nov. 28, 2022
Reluctantly he came to where she was sitting at the table, though she could see from his face that he was still listening to the noise of the construction below.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
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.
