reluctant
Americanadjective
-
not eager; unwilling; disinclined
-
archaic offering resistance or opposition
Related Words
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
- half-reluctant adjective
- reluctantly adverb
- unreluctant adjective
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
List 3
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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.
Vogue put Streep on its May cover, dressed as Miranda, seated next to Anna Wintour — once reluctant to accept being the inspiration for the character, but now embracing it to sell magazines.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
Not all the identified fathers have been reluctant to engage.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
Waller is an influential voice at the Fed who voted repeatedly last year to cut interest rates at a time when many of his colleagues were reluctant to reduce borrowing costs.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
Analysts say that shippers may still be reluctant to rush back in as long as Iran’s military still retains control of the waterway.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
“Or else!” she threatened when Omakayas was reluctant.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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.
