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
For human rights advocates, Johnson’s reluctance to forcefully criticize Bukele at the time was a sign of his undue deference to the Salvadoran leader.
—
T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
Offered a chance to explain any reluctance to stay in the NBA, the Lithuanian center once again quelled the topic.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
The 81 independents who were interviewed represented the group with the most reluctance to say transgender athletes shouldn't be allowed to compete.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Several board members expressed grief and reluctance over installing weapon detection systems in middle schools, but also acknowledged the need for more safety measures.
—Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
Offered a chance to explain any reluctance to stay in the NBA, the Lithuanian center once again quelled the topic.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
The 81 independents who were interviewed represented the group with the most reluctance to say transgender athletes shouldn't be allowed to compete.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Several board members expressed grief and reluctance over installing weapon detection systems in middle schools, but also acknowledged the need for more safety measures.
—Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
-
But Trump has also grown tired of Netanyahu’s unwillingness to stop a war that Trump himself wants credit for bringing to a close.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Ahead of Friday's vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune stood firm on the Senate floor and signaled his party’s unwillingness to negotiate with Democrats over their demands in order to open the government back up.—
Allison Pecorin,
ABC News,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Christine, 53, now tells PEOPLE about her hesitancy to return to the series that made her family household names.—
Dory Jackson,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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Educational research shows that spoken practice strengthens memory and reduces hesitancy more effectively than passive drills, which is why Airlearn places conversation at the core of its design.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Amid mass reticence, An Unfinished Film is an essential yet incomplete outlet for unprocessed trauma.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Given the vast competition of the open internet, the cost of bringing in new visitors, and the reticence of traditional businesses to trust the web over radio and TV in those early days, sustainable ad dollars proved hard to come by.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
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Shares have remained relatively stable, affected by investor hesitance regarding China’s steel demand and ongoing worries about Brazil's regulatory landscape.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Star card is asking you to let go of doubts and instead focus on what aligns most with your goals.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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With dark brown fur and adorable, squeezable paws, there's no doubt your little one will adore this stuffy.—
De Elizabeth,
Parents,
1 Oct. 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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As the title suggests, its cast was entirely composed of couples in which one party was ready to get hitched, and the other had hesitations.—
James Factora,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
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However, lofty goals often lead to significant hesitation or avoidance.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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