reluctantly
Americanadverb
Other Word 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, Niumatalolo told his protege to take the job.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 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, Yankovic acknowledges there’s something, in fact, very real about Weird Al.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 9, 2022
Reluctantly, he loosed his hold and backed down the two steps keeping his wet eyes on Katie.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
