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; reluct, -ant
Compare meaning
How does reluctant compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
The French side dropped their attackers deep, into these empty wide positions with Liverpool’s back three reluctant to follow them out into these areas.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
But would-be buyers remain nervous about the job market and reluctant to pay high home prices, so it could take more than a small drop in rates to bring them off the sidelines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Adams was reluctant to categorize his sensibility, but he acknowledged that he gravitated toward plays “that have some invitation for design innovation while being centered on human beings.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Additionally, HDD makers face less of an oversupply risk than memory companies, which are now slowly adding capacity to address shortages after having been reluctant to do so, Woodring noted.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
Sheed, reluctant but understanding the need to preserve Petey’s confidence, said, “Right.”
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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.
