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.
Chip companies had been reluctant to add capacity due to the cyclical nature of the industry, but are now looking to expand cleanroom space to address the shortages.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
But it is important to acknowledge that there are good reasons investors have been reluctant to look down.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Even now, aid organizations were reluctant to deliver into the city for fear of getting stuck, he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
The context was the crisis in the eurozone and the role he was pressing on a reluctant Germany was an economic, not a military one.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Suppliers were reluctant to drive near the evacuation zones, so no more would be coming.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
