Synonyms of reticence

reticence

noun

ˈre-tə-sən(t)s 

as in reluctance

a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something

the publisher's reticence to make content available online for free

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reluctance
• hesitancy
• unwillingness
• hesitance
• doubt
• disinclination
• skepticism
• hesitation
• suspicion
• indecision
• uncertainty
• vacillation
• irresolution
• wavering
• distrust
• faltering
• staggering
• mistrust
• wobbling
• fence-sitting
• incertitude
• shilly-shallying
• misgiving
• distrustfulness
• mistrustfulness
• misdoubt
• uncertainness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• willingness
• inclination
• conviction
• assurance
• certainty
• surety
• certitude
• assuredness
• positiveness
• sureness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of reticence

At the library, questions about how the case split the town were greeted with polite reticence. — Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

That reticence led to calls from the city council for transparency, with the handful of alders who opposed the 2008 deal demanding details before anything moved forward. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

But as Obama ran into the realities of governing, and the groups experienced the disappointment of his Administration’s compromises on issues such as health care and climate change, their reticence waned. — Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

Tóibín practises a sustained reticence, even as fate strikes so cruelly as to give this story an absurdist edge. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026