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
Their reluctance to promote the album helped confine Reid to an underground status that stuck with subsequent albums Seed of Memory and Rogue Waves.
—
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 Aug. 2025
Each of them has complicated the political calculus for Trump on the world stage, owing not only to the suffering each of them has imposed on Ukrainians and Palestinians, respectively, but also to their reluctance to change course.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Aug. 2025
The Fed's July meeting will follow on the heels of mounting concerns about its independence amid political interference and President Trump's persistent attacks on Chair Jerome Powell for his reluctance to cut rates.
—Nikhil Sharma, USA Today, 23 July 2025
But Wilbur Ross, President Trump’s former commerce secretary, told Fortune that the president’s threats toward Powell may be reinforcing the Fed’s reluctance to cut rates.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 Aug. 2025
Each of them has complicated the political calculus for Trump on the world stage, owing not only to the suffering each of them has imposed on Ukrainians and Palestinians, respectively, but also to their reluctance to change course.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Aug. 2025
The Fed's July meeting will follow on the heels of mounting concerns about its independence amid political interference and President Trump's persistent attacks on Chair Jerome Powell for his reluctance to cut rates.
—Nikhil Sharma, USA Today, 23 July 2025
But Wilbur Ross, President Trump’s former commerce secretary, told Fortune that the president’s threats toward Powell may be reinforcing the Fed’s reluctance to cut rates.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
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Greenlaw showed no hesitancy in Tuesday’s practice, bursting downhill on the opening 11-on-11 play to help stop a run near the line of scrimmage.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
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While dealmakers recognize the benefits of AI, there is still some hesitancy due to privacy and data concerns and the legal and compliance risks that could arise.—
Rusty Wiley,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The story noted the hospital's increasing reticence to comment on any political or controversial topics.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
1 Aug. 2025
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This technological bottleneck is compounded by serious supply chain vulnerabilities caused by the U.S.'s reticence to embrace new battery technology.—
Siyu Huang,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Farmer said feelings of shame can contribute to caregivers’ hesitance to discuss suicidal thoughts.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
29 July 2025
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This hesitance is due to a shortage of anesthesiologists in some areas, unregulated costs of the procedure, and lingering misconceptions about possible side effects, according to experts cited by China Daily.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
Noun
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There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that an immediate, at-scale response is needed.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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However, there is no doubt that the bigger names attract more viewers and larger paychecks.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The author’s own disinclination toward literary experiment likely stemmed from a belief that the social demanded more moral attention than the psychological.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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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
Noun
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But with the integration of AI comes hesitation and fears of job loss, privacy breaches and misinformation.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
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Putin, Kuleba said, only needs one day of hesitation at NATO and European Union headquarters in Brussels to press an attack.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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