Meaning & use
reluctant
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not keen to do something, and slow or unwilling to agree.
Grammar: Usually followed by to and a verb: reluctant to leave.
Patterns
- reluctant to do something
She was reluctant to share her results before they were checked.
The cat was reluctant to leave the warm sofa.
Many voters are reluctant to change their minds.
adjectivebefore a noun
Done unwillingly or with hesitation.
Grammar: Describes a noun, such as a reluctant hero or reluctant agreement.
He gave a reluctant nod and handed over the keys.
After a reluctant start, the team began to play well.
The reluctant student finally picked up his pen.
Word forms
| comparative | more reluctant |
|---|---|
| superlative | most reluctant |
Common combinations
- reluctant to admit
- He was reluctant to admit he was lost.
- reluctant hero
- She became a reluctant hero when she saved the child.
- reluctant agreement
- They reached a reluctant agreement.
- seem reluctant
- The manager seemed reluctant to answer.
- strangely reluctant
- He was strangely reluctant to talk about home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unwilling
- Unwilling is stronger and can mean a flat refusal, while reluctant means you may go ahead anyway.
- hesitant
- Hesitant stresses uncertainty or delay, while reluctant stresses not wanting to do it.
- loath
- Loath is a formal, literary word, a bit stronger, meaning very unwilling.
- disinclined
- Disinclined is formal and suggests a mild lack of wish rather than an emotional resistance.
Opposites
Word family
- reluctance noun
- unwillingness to do something
- reluctantly adverb
- in an unwilling way
- reluctancy noun
- an old, rare form of reluctance
Commonly confused: reluctant or reticent?
reluctant vs reticent
Reticent means unwilling to speak about something, while reluctant means unwilling to do something.
Practice
Tom was ___ to speak in public, so he asked his friend to give the speech.
Choose one answer.
Because he asked someone else, he did not want to speak, which is reluctant. Eager, delighted and keen all show enthusiasm.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reluctant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.