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

Wright reluctantly acceded to the changes, seeing the book club selection as a crucial opportunity for Black writing and a social and political milestone. —Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026

Hitler comes to power; Lajos, by now a regional administrator, reluctantly carries out the Nazis’ orders, consigning the local Jewish population to death; Ilona and her husband flee to America by way of Switzerland. —Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026

But Fox News Digital learned that a former athletics department administrator reluctantly accepted a voluntary retirement package, and then Berdo was hired shortly thereafter. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026

The Magic, a little reluctantly, gave the Pistons some credit for their defense. —ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above