How to Use reluctant in a Sentence

reluctant

adjective

• He might agree but seems reluctant to admit it.
• We were reluctant to get involved.
• Is the man reluctant to give up the job’s salary and perks?
  — Tom Nolan, WSJ, 2 Oct. 2020
• And the president has been reluctant in the past to sign it.
  — Fox News, 25 Mar. 2018
• Wilkins was reluctant to leave his team and go to the clinic.
  — Jordan Gonsalves, Time, 1 Dec. 2022
• None were willing to go on the record, and all were reluctant to talk.
  — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, 21 Aug. 2019
• Lawrence shared that the leak made her reluctant to do nude scenes in her films.
  — Wandera Hussein, Billboard, 26 Feb. 2018
• In one of the movie’s highlights, the very forward Frost gets a reluctant Buck to dance with her.
  — Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
• The poll results show why some on the court might be reluctant to take such a bold step.
  — Scott Clement, William Bishop, Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Nov. 2021
• Dressed in jeans and leaning on the bleachers, Jeter is reluctant to take the court.
  — Si.com Staff, SI.com, 25 June 2018
• The woman, who had her child in the car, at first was reluctant to go to the hospital.
  — Kate Armanini, BostonGlobe.com, 7 June 2023
• This makes me reluctant to wear shoes inside the house.
  — The Editors, Outside Online, 12 Apr. 2020
• Though the girls didn’t know it, their captors were reluctant to harm them.
  — Drew Hinshaw, WSJ, 24 Dec. 2017
• High praise from a player who at one point seemed reluctant to even give Oats and the new regime a chance.
  — Rainer Sabin | [e-mail], al.com, 20 June 2019
• But Space Force leaders may be reluctant to take on the task.
  — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 13 Aug. 2021
• The lack of clear rules for home sharing has made many people reluctant to take the next step and host.
  — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2018
• Chase has shown itself in recent months to be among the most reluctant to do this.
  — David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2021
• Many locals are reluctant to speak on the record, but some are eager to do so.
  — Michael Tracey, WSJ, 7 July 2020
• Cons: Too reluctant to throw the ball downfield and in traffic.
  — USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2021
• The Dodgers were reluctant to re-sign him because of salary tax issues.
  — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 27 June 2018
• There were far fewer riders, and those who were still on the trains were reluctant to get too close.
  — Kalia Richardson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2022
• But many people who have been living on the streets are reluctant to make that first move.
  — John Kelly, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023
• Lewis has never been reluctant to speak his mind, of course.
  — baltimoresun.com, 10 Apr. 2018
• None of the concerns raised by the FDA suggest the agency is reluctant to approve the treatment.
  — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 30 Oct. 2023
• Ghani has balked, reluctant to give up a key source of leverage in future talks.
  — Nick Wadhams, Bloomberg.com, 5 May 2020
• Price was reluctant to send them so far away, even though their friends were going.
  — Page Leggett, charlotteobserver, 12 July 2018
• Swift also pulled them both up on stage with her, though Del Rey looked reluctant to join her.
  — Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024
• And it's left many teachers reluctant to return to the classroom.
  — Christina Walker, CNN, 13 Aug. 2020
• The country has so far been reluctant to allow in large numbers of refugees.
  — WSJ, 1 Nov. 2023
• The Supreme Court has been reluctant to take many death penalty cases.
  — Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jan. 2024

Last Updated: 9 May 2024