Home / Dictionary / Reluctant

Reluctant Common

Reluctant has 4 different meanings across 1 category:

Adjective

Definitions
Adjective
1

unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom

"a reluctant smile"

"loath to admit a mistake"

2

disinclined to become involved

"they were usually reluctant to socialize"

"reluctant to help"

3

not eager

"foreigners stubbornly reluctant to accept our ways"

"fresh from college and reluctant for the moment to marry him"

4

Opposing; offering resistance (to).

"The team was reluctant to change their established strategy despite the new challenges."

In plain English: Reluctant means unwilling to do something because you don't want to.

"She was reluctant to leave her warm bed on such a cold morning."

Example Sentences
"She was reluctant to leave her warm bed on such a cold morning." adj
"She was reluctant to leave her warm bed on a rainy morning." adj
"The dog remained reluctant to enter the dark house after hearing strange noises." adj
"He felt reluctant to admit his mistake during the meeting." adj
Related Terms

Origin

Reluctant is a learned borrowing from the Latin word reluctans, which originally meant "struggling back" or opposing something. The term entered English to describe someone who hesitates or refuses to do what they are asked, carrying forward its sense of resistance against an action.

Rhyming Words
ant fant gant pant cant zant hant want tant lant vant sant rant kant quant shant idant beant grant brant
Compare
Reluctant vs