as in unwillingness
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
the mice showed an odd reluctance to eat the cheese we had put out for them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reluctance
Two executives at smaller private foundations said there was a reluctance to say anything publicly because of fear of retribution from the Trump administration, including a potential loss of charitable status.
—
Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Türk’s condemnation of the Hamas ceremony, however, rang hollow for many who pointed out the U.N.’s reluctance to condemn the terror organization by name.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2025
But the new format caused some newfound reluctance to go to nine games: Texas was the only team to go 7-1 in conference play, two others suffered two losses, and five had three losses.
—Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
In another passage, Jesus heals the daughter of a woman who was both non-Jewish and of foreign ethnicity, accepting her chastisement for his initial reluctance to assist a non-Jew.
—Laura E. Alexander, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Türk’s condemnation of the Hamas ceremony, however, rang hollow for many who pointed out the U.N.’s reluctance to condemn the terror organization by name.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2025
But the new format caused some newfound reluctance to go to nine games: Texas was the only team to go 7-1 in conference play, two others suffered two losses, and five had three losses.
—Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
In another passage, Jesus heals the daughter of a woman who was both non-Jewish and of foreign ethnicity, accepting her chastisement for his initial reluctance to assist a non-Jew.
—Laura E. Alexander, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
-
Nothing has been said officially in this regard, but perhaps some of the apparent hesitancy of coaches or Concacaf representatives to speak publicly on the matter in the immediate aftermath was based on speculation that the likely true nature of events involved some sort of misunderstanding.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
And Patton’s memorable opening speech hints at the film’s hesitancy about turning men into myths.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The latter could very well be the case, but his reticence is notable nevertheless.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Mar. 2025
-
China’s reticence to serve as the standard-bearer for Pyongyang is not new.—
Sergey Radchenko,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This patience and hesitance to pay up when the market looked good in early trading has served us well so far.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
-
President-elect Trump is encountering some unlikely openness from Democrats — and hesitance and confusion from Republicans — with his talk of acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal.—
Andrew Solender,
Axios,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There’s little doubt that Ohtani will be back in the 2026 WBC with the Japanese team that is ranked first in the world.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
7 Mar. 2025
-
There's little doubt that AI will play an increasingly more prominent role in employee engagement, well-being and development.—
Kevin Korte,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Its weakness is an intermittent lack of vulnerability and an occasional disinclination to leave all of that behind and pull out individual characters who have figured out that their travails flow from the difficulty of stopping American family life from turning into a Sam Shepard play.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
-
On the contrary, these works form a trail of historical and imagined personalities, full of desires and disinclinations that misalign.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Taking small steps toward dating and being open to new experiences can help break the cycle of hesitation.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
But as the weeks passed, Minnie's initial hesitation turned into affection.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share