reluctantly

adverb

re·​luc·​tant·​ly ri-ˈlək-tənt-lē How to pronounce reluctantly (audio)
Synonyms of reluctantly
: 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
He is about to release 'Thriller,' and today he's agreed, reluctantly, to sit for the Rolling Stone cover.—Gerri Hirshey
Kirsti 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

Examples of reluctantly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kevin is reluctantly forced to go to trial, facing such logistical obstacles as the difficulty of serving Road Runner a subpoena. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 In this splendid and very hot outfit, completed with spindly heeled sandals, Allie reluctantly toddles off into the night to join her glimmering, mini-skirted sisters. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 The curandero refused to consume it and only reluctantly consented to dose Knab, who recorded the experience in dissociative terms. — Kimon De Greef, Longreads, 4 Aug. 2026 My dad reluctantly pulls our rental car into a shopping center and parks. — Margrét Ann Thors, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reluctantly

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reluctantly was in 1646

Browse Nearby Words

reluctant dragon
reluctantly
reluctate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctantly. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on reluctantly

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for reluctantly

Nglish: Translation of reluctantly for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All