reluctant
adjective
re·luc·tant
ri-ˈlək-tənt 
Synonyms
Examples of reluctant in a Sentence
94% of the butterflies are females, and they jostle for the attention of the few males, who seem reluctant suitors.
—
Carl Zimmer, Science, 11 May 2001
When I missed five in a row and was reluctant to take the next shot or didn't really follow through, my teammates would yell, "Brick!"
—Bill Bradley, New York Times, 18 Dec. 1994
The man swore sullenly. He went over to a corner and slowly began to put on his coat. He took his hat and went out, with a dragging, reluctant step.
—Stephen Crane, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, 1893
The woman seemed desirous, yet reluctant, to speak, and answered, in low, mysterious tone.
—Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852
We were reluctant to get involved.
He might agree but seems reluctant to admit it.
Carl Zimmer, Science, 11 May 2001
When I missed five in a row and was reluctant to take the next shot or didn't really follow through, my teammates would yell, "Brick!"
—Bill Bradley, New York Times, 18 Dec. 1994
The man swore sullenly. He went over to a corner and slowly began to put on his coat. He took his hat and went out, with a dragging, reluctant step.
—Stephen Crane, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, 1893
The woman seemed desirous, yet reluctant, to speak, and answered, in low, mysterious tone.
—Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852
We were reluctant to get involved.
He might agree but seems reluctant to admit it.
Recent Examples on the Web
After hunting him down at the casino, Lisa manages to convince a reluctant Sammy to become a team for the upcoming tournament.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Civilians tasked with taking on the Santa mantle, however, are fair game — including clueless Christmas princes, reluctant draftees, and Viking warriors.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
And the judge, whose prior decisions to delay Trump’s sentencing were partly based on his consideration of the case’s unique circumstances, may be reluctant to mete out a punishment on the president-elect.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2024
Too many of them were sure that the hubris and folly of his reluctant exit from the Presidency had destroyed him politically.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctant 
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Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Civilians tasked with taking on the Santa mantle, however, are fair game — including clueless Christmas princes, reluctant draftees, and Viking warriors.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
And the judge, whose prior decisions to delay Trump’s sentencing were partly based on his consideration of the case’s unique circumstances, may be reluctant to mete out a punishment on the president-elect.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2024
Too many of them were sure that the hubris and folly of his reluctant exit from the Presidency had destroyed him politically.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctant
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Cite this Entry
“Reluctant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctant. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reluctant
adjective
re·luc·tant
ri-ˈlək-tənt
: showing doubt or unwillingness
reluctant to answer
reluctantly
adverb
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