as in hesitant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
I'm reluctant to let you borrow my vintage CDs since you never give back anything I lend you
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reluctant
Many are reluctant to pay outright fines.
—
Liam Knox, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2025
Hamill was reluctant to play the role, given his aversion to gun violence and general horror.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
At too many colleges, leaders have been reluctant to impose strict rules or harsh penalties for chatbot use, passing the buck to professors to come up with their own policies.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2025
Existing homeowners have been reluctant to give up low-rate mortgages, while affordability has completely priced a majority of buyers out of the market.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctant
Liam Knox, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2025
Hamill was reluctant to play the role, given his aversion to gun violence and general horror.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
At too many colleges, leaders have been reluctant to impose strict rules or harsh penalties for chatbot use, passing the buck to professors to come up with their own policies.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2025
Existing homeowners have been reluctant to give up low-rate mortgages, while affordability has completely priced a majority of buyers out of the market.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctant
hesitant
Adjective
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Trump’s encouragement of Walker was enough to spur him into the race, though Republicans as a whole were hesitant, given Walker’s lack of experience and standing as an unknown quantity among GOP voters.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ty noted that some caregivers might be hesitant to open up about their caregiving experience in the workplace for fear of being passed over for promotions or other advancements.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctant. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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