Meaning & use
reluctantly
Last updated
UK/rɪˈlʌktəntli/
US/rɪˈlʌktəntli/
Meaning
adverbnot comparable
In an unwilling way, doing something even though you would prefer not to.
Grammar: Goes with an action that does happen: she reluctantly agreed.
Patterns
- reluctantly agree
- reluctantly accept
- reluctantly admit
He reluctantly handed over the keys.
The coach reluctantly agreed to let her play.
They reluctantly sold the old family house.
Common combinations
- reluctantly agree
- Mom reluctantly agreed to a second dog.
- reluctantly admit
- I reluctantly admit that he was right.
- reluctantly accept
- The union reluctantly accepted the offer.
- reluctantly leave
- The guests reluctantly left at midnight.
- reluctantly agree to
- She reluctantly agreed to the interview.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unwillingly
- Unwillingly is a little stronger and can suggest being forced, while reluctantly suggests hesitation.
- grudgingly
- Grudgingly adds a feeling of resentment, and fits accepting something you dislike.
- hesitantly
- Hesitantly is about pausing from uncertainty, not from not wanting to.
- begrudgingly
- Begrudgingly is a common variant of grudgingly, and suggests reluctant generosity.
Opposites
Word family
- reluctant adjective
- unwilling and hesitant
- reluctance noun
- unwillingness
- reluct verb
- an old word meaning to struggle against, now obsolete
Commonly confused: reluctantly or reticently?
reluctantly vs reticently
Reticently means in a reserved, quiet way and not unwillingly.
Practice
'She reluctantly signed the form.' What happened?
Choose one answer.
Reluctantly means the action still happens, but with unwillingness. Refusing would mean it did not happen.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reluctantly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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