reluctantly
adverb
re·luc·tant·ly
ri-ˈlək-tənt-lē 
: in a reluctant manner : with aversion or hesitation
The quiet resolution in his voice penetrated her racing thoughts. Reluctantly she gave him a corner of her attention.—
Elizabeth George Speare
Elizabeth George SpeareHe is about to release 'Thriller,' and today he's agreed, reluctantly, to sit for the Rolling Stone cover.—Gerri Hirshey
Gerri HirsheyKirsti had gone to bed reluctantly, complaining that she wanted to stay up with the others, that she was grownup enough, … that it wasn't fair.—Lois Lowry
Lois LowryExamples of reluctantly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mikkelsen portrayed Galen Erso, a scientist who reluctantly helps construct the Death Star — and intentionally embeds a hidden weakness in the space station's foundation that eventually helps the Rebel Alliance blow the planet-destroying behemoth to smithereens.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
The Holdovers Set in 1970s New England, The Holdovers follows a cranky prep school teacher (Paul Giamatti) who reluctantly supervises students stuck on campus over Christmas break.
—Lydia Price, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
Fatsis concludes, a little reluctantly, not only that the dictionary may be on its last legs as a commercial enterprise but that lexicographical expertise is expiring with it.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
As socialist central planning failed to produce sustained growth, the ruling Cuban Communist Party has, reluctantly, allowed citizens to open small-scale private businesses.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
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Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
The Holdovers Set in 1970s New England, The Holdovers follows a cranky prep school teacher (Paul Giamatti) who reluctantly supervises students stuck on campus over Christmas break.
—Lydia Price, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
Fatsis concludes, a little reluctantly, not only that the dictionary may be on its last legs as a commercial enterprise but that lexicographical expertise is expiring with it.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
As socialist central planning failed to produce sustained growth, the ruling Cuban Communist Party has, reluctantly, allowed citizens to open small-scale private businesses.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
Cite this Entry
“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctantly. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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