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
The result of this will, surely, be creative self-censorship and a reluctance among the country’s best architects to bid for public work.
—
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
Knowing her reluctance to dish in interviews, fans may never find out what exactly that aside means.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 June 2026
But after gauging the reluctance among the council to support Lee’s plan, Falk is back to pushing in the opposite direction.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
This is the breeziness that Tuchel moves with, the reluctance to get bogged down in anything beyond aiming for that second star.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
Knowing her reluctance to dish in interviews, fans may never find out what exactly that aside means.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 June 2026
But after gauging the reluctance among the council to support Lee’s plan, Falk is back to pushing in the opposite direction.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
This is the breeziness that Tuchel moves with, the reluctance to get bogged down in anything beyond aiming for that second star.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
-
In the 18th century, lusty also meant insolent, which might have conveyed Anderson’s frustrations with Dina’s unwillingness to accept his authority over her.—
Carolyn Zola,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
-
In some systems, the greatest danger is not the mistake itself, but the unwillingness to learn.—
Nisha Narayanan,
STAT,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Another common problem for leaders is dealing with the pressure to innovate or the hesitancy to invest from the board.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
His hesitancy could undermine one of DeSantis’ key arguments to sway voters, particularly those in small counties, in favor of the amendment.—
Romy Ellenbogen Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
In fact, during the oral argument, several of the justices expressed reticence about further reforms that might commercialize college sports.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
There is little doubt the B-52 will continue its epic run.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, soon signed it remotely too –– quickly casting doubt over whether an in-person signing event was now needed.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Culturally, the word is synonymous with ugly, not just for the ways lesbians defy traditional gender roles in the popular imagination but for their disinclination toward and unavailability to men.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
The same disinclination would normally apply.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
