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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reluctance
Anyone who has lost a loved one and sought closure from a tarot-card reader, psychic, or medium can recognize the hope, reluctance, and anger Molly brings to her initial interactions with Oda Mae.
—
Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
His reluctance to change his system, too, also seems odd considering the run of defeats.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Here, technology can help traditional sports but there is a strong reluctance to change the essence of sport itself.
—John Cairney, Sportico.com, 27 Feb. 2025
First-time show host Conan O’Brien explained the team’s reluctance.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
His reluctance to change his system, too, also seems odd considering the run of defeats.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Here, technology can help traditional sports but there is a strong reluctance to change the essence of sport itself.
—John Cairney, Sportico.com, 27 Feb. 2025
First-time show host Conan O’Brien explained the team’s reluctance.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance
Noun
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That's an encouraging step, but consistency on the importance of vaccination is needed to overcome current levels of public hesitancy.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
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The team’s hesitancy stemmed, in part, from its existing collection of nine-figure contracts.—
Dennis Lin,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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While Adams filed a lawsuit against Trump seeking to recoup the $80 million, he’s still been broadly criticized for a reticence to publicly criticize the president.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2025
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The latter could very well be the case, but his reticence is notable nevertheless.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Mar. 2025
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Soren Toft and Vincent Clerc, the CEOs of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, respectively, have called out the lack of safety guarantees as the top reason for their hesitance to return.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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If there was any doubt as to De Niro’s greatness, it’s laid to rest in these face-to-face confrontations.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
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Without a doubt, the perfect way to wrap up a day at Disney is with the fireworks show.—
Ronny Maye,
Essence,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Its weakness is an intermittent lack of vulnerability and an occasional disinclination to leave all of that behind and pull out individual characters who have figured out that their travails flow from the difficulty of stopping American family life from turning into a Sam Shepard play.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
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On the contrary, these works form a trail of historical and imagined personalities, full of desires and disinclinations that misalign.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The same hesitation existed with computers, the internet, and smartphones.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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TikTok Reacts Jensen's transformation sparked a wave of reactions in the comments section, with viewers split between admiration and hesitation.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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