Synonyms

reluctantly

American

[ri-luhk-tuhnt-lee] / rɪˈlʌk tənt li /

adverb

without really wanting to; unwillingly.

I told her to take a break, just for one moment, and she reluctantly pulled away from her work.

Other Word Forms

half-reluctantly adverb
unreluctantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of reluctantly

reluctant ( def. ) + -ly

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.

I’m no Luddite, though I did cling to my BlackBerry, with its winning Lilliputian keyboard, surrendering reluctantly to an iPhone only when the BlackBerry became extinct.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is all a lot to deal with as it is, but the trouble really begins when Charli reluctantly agrees to do a concert film commemorating her arena tour debut.

From Salon

But Mr. Grayson looked serious, so Bat reluctantly went to his seat.

From Literature

The move sparked criticism from social media platforms which, Australia's internet regulator told the BBC last month, came to the regime "kicking and screaming - very very reluctantly".

From BBC

The one staring at me turned around, almost reluctantly, then ran off and jumped in turn.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023