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
Elizabeth George SpeareHe is about to release 'Thriller,' and today he's agreed, reluctantly, to sit for the Rolling Stone cover.—Gerri Hirshey
Gerri HirsheyKirsti 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
Lois LowryExamples of reluctantly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At Spencer and Olivia’s wedding, Jordan presented the photo to his Grandpa Willy, who reluctantly revealed that the child in the photo was Billy’s older brother — the result of a previous relationship Grandma Mary had had, before Willy was in her life.
—Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 15 July 2024
What to watch: Biden's solo press conference after the NATO summit on Thursday will present the first huge test of whether Democratic leaders were right to plow — however reluctantly — full-steam ahead.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 10 July 2024
Body fat helped ensure survival, and that’s why the body loves stored fat and surrenders it reluctantly.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 27 June 2024
On Election Day in south London, Fraser Douglass, 52, a longtime Conservative supporter, reluctantly voted for his party.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctantly 
Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 15 July 2024
What to watch: Biden's solo press conference after the NATO summit on Thursday will present the first huge test of whether Democratic leaders were right to plow — however reluctantly — full-steam ahead.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 10 July 2024
Body fat helped ensure survival, and that’s why the body loves stored fat and surrenders it reluctantly.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 27 June 2024
On Election Day in south London, Fraser Douglass, 52, a longtime Conservative supporter, reluctantly voted for his party.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctantly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reluctantly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctantly. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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