reluctance

noun

ri-ˈlək-tən(t)s How to pronounce reluctance (audio)
Definition of reluctancenext
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

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 Intense pride in their home has resulted in both protective zoning codes and an inbred reluctance to sell. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 16 Aug. 2026 Previously, the Bank of Japan’s reluctance to raise its own rates coupled with fears the Fed would hike as soon as next month had been driving the yen’s recent slump. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 This reluctance to sell players beyond the big-ticket deals — Bale, Walker, Kane — had a profound strategic impact on the club. — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 On cross-examination, Reddington asked about Clancy's reluctance to take medications. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
  1. unwillingness
  2. hesitancy
  3. reticence
  4. hesitance
  5. doubt
  6. disinclination
Noun
  • Hafley has talked extensively about his refusal to overwhelm rookies, something that explains his unwillingness to cross-train Proctor.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • James’s obsessive love, his unwillingness to go on without his beloved, is treated as childish, if not a version of sweaty insanity.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of unwillingness
Noun
  • Handy said hesitancy around the measles vaccine dates back to 2000 or even earlier.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Martone competes well, showing no hesitancy to engage physically or create at the net.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of hesitancy
Noun
  • In Chile, in addition to the geological challenges discussed above, some reticence to invest in copper development may also be due in part to the strength of the country’s lithium sector.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Also in that courtroom that first day is his brother Jack (Noah Centineo), a more visibly restless and outgoing soul compared to Cody’s protective reticence.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of reticence
Noun
  • Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
  • That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
Definition of hesitance
Noun
  • Any doubts over whether that deal would be concluded would have been banished as soon as Riad was taken off.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • In the past, Cofnas has expressed doubts about the intellectual abilities of Blacks in comparison to whites.
    — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of doubt
Noun
  • Culturally, the word is synonymous with ugly, not just for the ways lesbians defy traditional gender roles in the popular imagination but for their disinclination toward and unavailability to men.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
  • The same disinclination would normally apply.
    — Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025
Definition of disinclination

Browse Nearby Words

relucent
reluctance
reluctant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reluctance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reluctance

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