as in unwillingness
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
the mice showed an odd reluctance to eat the cheese we had put out for them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of reluctance in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
Second, the legal system’s reluctance to acknowledge its mistakes virtually ensures that some wrongs are never corrected – even when questions are raised about the evidence and witnesses underpinning a conviction.
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Terry W., The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024
His reluctance to seize a leadership role on the Serbian national team this summer revealed a defining contradiction in his life these days: one between the sway his voice has and his own perception of how strong that sway is.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2024
His previous relationship, spanning nine years, came to an end due to his reluctance to commit.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2024
Still, at the same time, Trump has baselessly questioned the voting method and shown reluctance to cast ballots through mail-in voting.
—Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctance 
Terry W., The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024
His reluctance to seize a leadership role on the Serbian national team this summer revealed a defining contradiction in his life these days: one between the sway his voice has and his own perception of how strong that sway is.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2024
His previous relationship, spanning nine years, came to an end due to his reluctance to commit.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2024
Still, at the same time, Trump has baselessly questioned the voting method and shown reluctance to cast ballots through mail-in voting.
—Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
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Rivera, who lives in Goodyear, will be voting for the very first time in this election, and despite some hesitancy at the beginning, solidified his support for Harris.Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024
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Yes, this story was reportedly (mostly) true as Belushi didn't sign his contract until moments before the cold open due to his hesitancy over the show and joining TV in general.Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 12 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Part of the reason for the reticence must be the high capital costs associated with installing the ASU and new burners, but part is due to the natural conservatism of power plant operators.Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
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Some experts believe that the Harris campaign’s reticence to be more overt about its LGBTQ+ allyship could be a defensive move: Republicans are reportedly spending millions on anti-trans attack ads in competitive races across the country.Nico Lang, Them, 18 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The Ransomware Surge and the Cost of Inaction Ransomware also remains a lucrative and low-risk endeavor for cybercriminals, fueled by organizations’ hesitance to disrupt their operations with preventive measures.Craig Burland, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
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The hesitance is largely due to employer’s compliance and logistics concerns in its implementation, even after the IRS issued additional guidance in August.Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
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On the other hand, there’s never any doubt that things will work out OK for Donn Fender (Luke David Blumm), the 12-year-old protagonist.Joe Leydon, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
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There’s no doubt that Angham has emerged as one of Egypt’s most impactful modern voices.Omar Baqbouq, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Cui said that disinclination is partly because high existing household savings would necessitate a cash infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars to have a notable effect.Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
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Horowitz’s disinclination to pay his bills has inspired complaints over the years, some on legal stationery.Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The team’s response, driven by fear of failure, was to pitch the new idea with hesitation, bracing for challenges and hoping that the CIO’s request would not negatively impact their progress.Thomas Lim, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
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The polarized national discourse certainly may cause some hesitation among teachers to dive into those discussions, says Ms. Billingham Bock of the Democratic Knowledge Project.Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near reluctance
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
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