reluctant
adjective
re·luc·tant
ri-ˈlək-tənt 
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
One of the new regime’s first major deals was to woo the Duffer Brothers away from Netflix, offering them the chance to make culture-defining movies for theaters in a way Netflix would’ve been reluctant to offer.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2025
Others were indeed reluctant to meet, such as the lottery scammers featured in the excerpt published by The Dial.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Robert Simonson, a cocktail historian who writes The Mix on Substack and has contributed to the Times, understands the reluctant acceptance of the drink.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Less housing as private capital is reluctant to invest.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctant
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Brian Welk, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2025
Others were indeed reluctant to meet, such as the lottery scammers featured in the excerpt published by The Dial.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Robert Simonson, a cocktail historian who writes The Mix on Substack and has contributed to the Times, understands the reluctant acceptance of the drink.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Less housing as private capital is reluctant to invest.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctant
Cite this Entry
“Reluctant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctant. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reluctant
adjective
re·luc·tant
ri-ˈlək-tənt
: showing doubt or unwillingness
reluctant to answer
reluctantly
adverb
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