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
Example 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 expresses confidence that his nominee to become Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, can unleash an economic bonanza by jettisoning what the president sees as the central bank’s hidebound reluctance to slash interest rates.
—
Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Trump is confident that his nominee to become Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, can unleash an even greater economic bonanza by jettisoning what the president sees as the central bank’s hidebound reluctance to slash interest rates.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
His reluctance to fully embrace the deal contributed to its fragility.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Trump is confident that his nominee to become Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, can unleash an even greater economic bonanza by jettisoning what the president sees as the central bank’s hidebound reluctance to slash interest rates.
—Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Trump is confident that his nominee to become Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, can unleash an even greater economic bonanza by jettisoning what the president sees as the central bank’s hidebound reluctance to slash interest rates.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
His reluctance to fully embrace the deal contributed to its fragility.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Trump is confident that his nominee to become Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, can unleash an even greater economic bonanza by jettisoning what the president sees as the central bank’s hidebound reluctance to slash interest rates.
—Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
-
At its core, narcissism is defined by a lack of empathy—not just occasional selfishness, but a consistent inability or unwillingness to step into someone else’s world.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2026
-
NeKeia McSwain, principal designer at NeKeia + Co, says that outdated design is less about a home's aesthetic and more about an unwillingness to change.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Finally, Jim said that our hesitancy to sell is due to fear that the company will figure out how to solve its AI woes.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
-
That hesitancy has never fully disappeared.—
Ken Toltz,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Part of me thinks Americans’ reticence is political.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Sweeney did concede that the uncertainty around two of the four first-round picks (the Toronto pick this year is top-5 protected and the Florida pick next year is top-10 protected) added to the reticence to move any of them.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Analysts have noted Mojtaba's lack of adequate religious credentials and hesitance within the regime to oversee a dynastic succession as marks against his candidacy to be the next supreme leader.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Her only hesitance was how much the internet has changed culture in the past decade.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The uncertainty comes on top of doubts already surrounding India’s more than $120 million investment in the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Iran’s Chabahar Port.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
There were some doubts about the RedHawks earning an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.—
Joe Reedy,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The same disinclination would normally apply.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
30 Nov. 2025
-
Beauty’s at-times reluctance to embrace TikTok Shop as a channel mirrors the industry’s longtime disinclination toward Amazon, an attitude that has shifted in recent years as the e-commerce giant’s beauty business has grown at an incontrovertible clip.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
