reluctantly

adverb

re·​luc·​tant·​ly ri-ˈlək-tənt-lē 

: in a reluctant manner : with aversion or hesitation

The quiet resolution in his voice penetrated her racing thoughts. Reluctantly she gave him a corner of her attention.

—Elizabeth George Speare

He is about to release 'Thriller,' and today he's agreed, reluctantly, to sit for the Rolling Stone cover.

—Gerri Hirshey

Kirsti had gone to bed reluctantly, complaining that she wanted to stay up with the others, that she was grownup enough, … that it wasn't fair.

—Lois Lowry

Examples of reluctantly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pitman kept both the plate and the nickname, reluctantly. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Both works follow a family of birds whose homebody father reluctantly agrees to a road trip-esque migration. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026

Pushing a call button to summon help often is done reluctantly, according to state ombudsmen. — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026

Manco only reluctantly starts carrying a gun after his first robbery, concerned that doing so would only lead to more violence. — Elena Lazic, Variety, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above