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.
The prime minister said Canada was retaliating "reluctantly" to protect its interests.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
And when they reluctantly return to America, they agonize over their guilt at not being able to do more — and what of Gaza will remain when they eventually get back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Bill has been involved in multiple business ventures; he reluctantly told me that these include at least one other Trump store, in Gatlinburg—another former Cupid’s Outlet—as well as condos in Florida.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
He enters reluctantly, since he knows nothing about baseball, and leaves fired up by the heroism of men like Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
But Mr. Grayson looked serious, so Bat reluctantly went to his seat.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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.
