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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reluctance
Yes, but: Trump's patience with Putin's reluctance over the ceasefire may be wearing thin.
—
Avery Lotz, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
Iran's reluctance to deal with Trump likely also takes root in his ordering the attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Mar. 2025
Trade, diplomacy and cultural exchanges continued even in periods marked by reluctance to intervene militarily.
—Andrew Latham, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2025
The post, however, did not offer an explanation for the groom's family's reluctance to attend.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Avery Lotz, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
Iran's reluctance to deal with Trump likely also takes root in his ordering the attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Mar. 2025
Trade, diplomacy and cultural exchanges continued even in periods marked by reluctance to intervene militarily.
—Andrew Latham, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2025
The post, however, did not offer an explanation for the groom's family's reluctance to attend.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
-
Despite the air of hesitancy partially clouding the results, the project strikes a hopeful chord for wildlife conservation.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
-
At least one legislator expressed hesitancy during a Senate committee vote Wednesday about the legislation’s expansive footprint.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
His dad’s customary reticence meant Specktor had work to do.—
Lorraine Berry,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Apr. 2025
-
His son visits Baghdad and Fallujah during summer vacations, puzzled by his family’s political reticence and by how his once prosperous cousins are impoverished by the sanctions regime of the 1990s.—
Lisa Anderson,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The war plans group chat uncovered by a journalist at The Atlantic exposed some daylight between Vice President Vance and others in the administration, showing Vance’s hesitance about launching a military strike that President Trump has hailed this week as necessary and successful.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
29 Mar. 2025
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This often shows up in subtle ways: a reluctance to apply for promotions, a hesitance to speak up in high-stakes meetings, or discomfort in presenting a polished resume or LinkedIn profile.—
Amanda Miller Littlejohn,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Kuemper shows his regular-season form There isn’t any doubt that Winnipeg’s star goalie Connor Hellebuyck will take home his second consecutive Vezina Trophy and third of his career.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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There's no doubt now that when history is being made on the course, golf fans take notice and tune in, making these events must-watch television.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Its weakness is an intermittent lack of vulnerability and an occasional disinclination to leave all of that behind and pull out individual characters who have figured out that their travails flow from the difficulty of stopping American family life from turning into a Sam Shepard play.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
-
On the contrary, these works form a trail of historical and imagined personalities, full of desires and disinclinations that misalign.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
After years of hesitation, the national security space community is finally boarding the commercial space train, one that many of us have been pushing for since the early 2000’s.—
Charles Beames,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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This time around, there’s no hesitation for Larsson.—
Tiana DeNicola,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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