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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Recent Examples of reluctant
At a time when private businesses would be understandably reluctant to invest, the state should pick up the slack.
—
Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Hamas, whose founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel, has been reluctant to give up its arsenal, including rockets, anti-tank missiles, and explosives.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
This simple explanation may be the most precise articulation yet of why Wall Street — despite spending billions deploying AI across trading, compliance, and back-office operations — remains deeply reluctant to hand autonomous agents the keys to anything that actually matters.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Adams’s primary task in these months was to drag and push his more reluctant colleagues to declare independence from Britain.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctant
Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Hamas, whose founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel, has been reluctant to give up its arsenal, including rockets, anti-tank missiles, and explosives.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
This simple explanation may be the most precise articulation yet of why Wall Street — despite spending billions deploying AI across trading, compliance, and back-office operations — remains deeply reluctant to hand autonomous agents the keys to anything that actually matters.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Adams’s primary task in these months was to drag and push his more reluctant colleagues to declare independence from Britain.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctant
Adjective
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Yet in an industry where technological change is often forced on hesitant doctors by medical administrators, few services have seen such rapid adoption as OpenEvidence.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
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The Mets have been hesitant to sign the 24-year-old Alvarez to a long-term contract in part because of injuries, and in part because of his inconsistent play, some of which is likely a result of injuries.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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The union also claims that BP repeatedly indicated that the company was unwilling to move on any part of its proposals.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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Musk only wanted control in the early days, but was unwilling to sign a contract formalizing it, Altman said.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reluctant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctant. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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