reluctantly

American  

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

adverb

1. without really wanting to; unwillingly.

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

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Other Word Forms

• half-reluctantly adverb
• unreluctantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of reluctantly

reluctant ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Example Sentences

She said she had reluctantly gotten into his car.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

It took until 2019, a year before the company went public, for Karp to — reluctantly — add a sales team to the company.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

There have been other clear examples of clubs reluctantly cashing in on their academy stars to get above the PSR threshold.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi reluctantly went along with the plan, dubbed Operation Ajax, though he fled town before its Aug. 15, 1953, launch.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

“The name is Lord Archibald Reginald Kensington, reluctantly at your service.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Related Words

• carefully
• cautiously
• hesitantly
• unwillingly
• warily