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
Kim Il-hyeok’s wife, five months pregnant, reluctantly agreed to join.
—Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Warner Bros Motion Pictures Co-Chair and CEO Pam Abdy was also reluctantly embracing of the fan videos.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Set in present-day American suburbia, The ’Burbs follows a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
According to the official synopsis, Savage Lake follows Nell Marin, a woman who reluctantly returns to her family’s run-down lakeside cabin with her teenage son, Oscar, after the death of her estranged father.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
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Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Warner Bros Motion Pictures Co-Chair and CEO Pam Abdy was also reluctantly embracing of the fan videos.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Set in present-day American suburbia, The ’Burbs follows a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
According to the official synopsis, Savage Lake follows Nell Marin, a woman who reluctantly returns to her family’s run-down lakeside cabin with her teenage son, Oscar, after the death of her estranged father.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
Cite this Entry
“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctantly. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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