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
The Stolen Girl centers on Elisa, a mother of two who reluctantly allows her 9-year-old daughter Lucia to attend a sleepover at the home of her new friend Josie.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Brandy then reluctantly says the film's final line, returning her to the real world.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Shawn reluctantly agrees, but is humiliated when Cory starts acting corny around his friend Gambling Dan (Phil Buckman), and his lackey, Louie (Weiss).
—EW.com, 16 Apr. 2025
An early profile of Palin in the Times highlighted the latter identity, describing her as someone who had never had political ambitions of her own but rather was drawn to office reluctantly, out of a pragmatic desire to share her skills.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
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Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Brandy then reluctantly says the film's final line, returning her to the real world.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Shawn reluctantly agrees, but is humiliated when Cory starts acting corny around his friend Gambling Dan (Phil Buckman), and his lackey, Louie (Weiss).
—EW.com, 16 Apr. 2025
An early profile of Palin in the Times highlighted the latter identity, describing her as someone who had never had political ambitions of her own but rather was drawn to office reluctantly, out of a pragmatic desire to share her skills.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 2025.
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