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
Gemma reluctantly agrees to rebuild her impudent robot in a new body, and the sequel ends with an explosive showdown between Amelia and M3GAN, who nearly dies in a noble attempt to save Gemma and her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw).
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 June 2025
The leaders reluctantly agree to a PR scheme plotted by their advisors, sharply played by Sarah Niles on the American side and Richard Coyle on the British.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
From Celeste Hughey, The ‘Burbs follows a young couple in present-day suburbia who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 June 2025
Gi-hun reluctantly sets down the child and lets Myung-gi pick her up and bring her over to the third pillar.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
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.
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 June 2025
The leaders reluctantly agree to a PR scheme plotted by their advisors, sharply played by Sarah Niles on the American side and Richard Coyle on the British.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025
From Celeste Hughey, The ‘Burbs follows a young couple in present-day suburbia who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 June 2025
Gi-hun reluctantly sets down the child and lets Myung-gi pick her up and bring her over to the third pillar.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 June 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 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share