reluctant
[ ri-luhk-tuhnt ]
/ rɪˈlʌk tənt /
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adjective
unwilling; disinclined: a reluctant candidate.
struggling in opposition.
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Origin of reluctant
synonym study for reluctant
1. 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 WORDS FROM reluctant
re·luc·tant·ly, adverbhalf-re·luc·tant, adjectiveun·re·luc·tant, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH reluctant
reluctant , reticentDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use reluctant in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for reluctant
reluctant
/ (rɪˈlʌktənt) /
adjective
not eager; unwilling; disinclined
archaic offering resistance or opposition
Derived forms of reluctant
reluctantly, adverbWord Origin for reluctant
C17: from Latin reluctārī to resist; see reluct
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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