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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reluctance
Trump’s reluctance to involve the country in foreign commitments reflects a strand of thinking that has been present in U.S. foreign policy since George Washington warned against permanent alliances in his 1796 Farewell Address.
—
Bilahari Kausikan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
The absence of internal promotion opportunities further fuels frustration, disengagement, and a reluctance from employees to invest in professional development.
—Christine Michel Carter, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
But Ginther added that Kansas’ reluctance to raise its wage floor doesn’t necessarily reflect the will of its population.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
The Biden administration’s reluctance to do more to press Israel for improved treatment of civilians undercut support for Democrats in last month’s elections.
—Ellen Knickmeyer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctance 
Bilahari Kausikan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
The absence of internal promotion opportunities further fuels frustration, disengagement, and a reluctance from employees to invest in professional development.
—Christine Michel Carter, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
But Ginther added that Kansas’ reluctance to raise its wage floor doesn’t necessarily reflect the will of its population.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
The Biden administration’s reluctance to do more to press Israel for improved treatment of civilians undercut support for Democrats in last month’s elections.
—Ellen Knickmeyer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
-
Participant hesitancy creates a real disadvantage when trying to communicate openly, develop an understanding of a person or situation, or negotiate effectively.—
Jason Foodman,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The timing of their pressing was off because of their hesitancy to press high.—
Charlotte Harpur,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The Golden State Warriors may feel that same reticence with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in their mid-30s.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes,
29 Dec. 2024
-
In his view, the reticence to communicate stems from the luxury industry’s historic focus on perfection in design, quality, finishing and store experience, whereas sustainability is an imperfect, perennial work-in-progress.—
Miles Socha,
WWD,
25 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Sahar Abi-Hassan, an assistant professor in political science at Northeastern University who studies the behavior of the Supreme Court, says the court might side with TikTok for several reasons, including its historical hesitance toward restricting speech.—
Lauren Feiner,
The Verge,
9 Jan. 2025
-
Still, Zhu’s hesitance to speak about Shein’s exposure to Xinjiang at the hearing might have been born of pragmatic reasons, or perhaps even strategic ones.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
While there have already been glimpses of this in the past with former TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace and Joe Hendry, there's no doubt fans will see more of this, especially heading into the Royal Rumble.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
-
In addition, conservative thought leaders — including those behind the Project 2025 playbook — have been contemplating Trump’s return for years, and have no doubt been helping Trump craft orders that are less vulnerable to legal challenges, the experts said.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Cui said that disinclination is partly because high existing household savings would necessitate a cash infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars to have a notable effect.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Oct. 2024
-
Horowitz’s disinclination to pay his bills has inspired complaints over the years, some on legal stationery.—
Tad Friend,
The New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
For example, a financial services organization rolling out a new product and working to generate sales using only CRM data might overlook early signs of buyer hesitation.—
Eilon Reshef,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
-
The common signs of vision loss include bumping into objects, difficulty finding food or toys, hesitation with jumping, anxiety, clinginess, or even aggression due to vulnerability.—
Kevin Lynn,
Newsweek,
8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near reluctance
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share