reluctant

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Related to reluctant: reluctantly, unreluctant

reluctant

disinclined; unwilling to act: She’s reluctant to report him to the police.

Not to be confused with:

reticent – unwilling to speak; reserved; taciturn, uncommunicative: She was reticent to answer our questions.

re·luc·tant

(rĭ-lŭk′tənt)

adj.

1. Unwilling; disinclined: reluctant to help.

2. Exhibiting or marked by unwillingness: reluctant cooperation.

3. Archaic Offering resistance; opposing.

[Latin reluctāns, reluctant-, present participle of reluctārī, to reluct; see reluct.]

re·luc′tant·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

reluctant

(rɪˈlʌktənt)

adj

1. not eager; unwilling; disinclined

2. archaic offering resistance or opposition

[C17: from Latin reluctārī to resist; see reluct]

reˈluctantly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

re•luc•tant

(rɪˈlʌk tənt)

adj.

1. unwilling; disinclined: a reluctant candidate.

2. marked by hesitation or slowness because of unwillingness: a reluctant promise.

[1655–65; < Latin reluctant-, s. of reluctāns, present participle of reluctārī. See reluct, -ant]

re•luc′tant•ly, adv.

syn: reluctant, loath, averse describe disinclination toward something. reluctant implies some sort of mental struggle, as between disinclination and sense of duty: reluctant to expel students. loath describes extreme disinclination: loath to part from a friend. averse describes a long-held dislike or unwillingness, though not a particularly strong feeling: averse to an idea; averse to getting up early.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	reluctant - unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom; "a reluctant smile"; "loath to admit a mistake" loath, loth unwilling - not disposed or inclined toward; "an unwilling assistant"; "unwilling to face facts"
	2.	reluctant - disinclined to become involved; "they were usually reluctant to socialize"; "reluctant to help" disinclined - unwilling because of mild dislike or disapproval; "disinclined to say anything to anybody"
	3.	reluctant - not eager; "foreigners stubbornly reluctant to accept our ways"; "fresh from college and reluctant for the moment to marry him" uneager - lacking interest or spirit or animation; "decrepit, colorless uneager things"

reluctant

adjective unwilling, slow, backward, grudging, hesitant, averse, recalcitrant, loath, disinclined, unenthusiastic, indisposed He was reluctant to ask for help.
willing, keen, eager, enthusiastic, inclined

Usage: Reticent is quite commonly used nowadays as a synonym of reluctant and followed by to and a verb. In careful writing it is advisable to avoid this use, since many people would regard it as mistaken.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

reluctant

adjective

Not inclined or willing to do or undertake:

averse, disinclined, indisposed, loath, unwilling.

Translations

مـُمَانِعمُمانِع، غَيْر راغِب

neochotnýzdráhavý

modvilliguvillig

renitent widerstrebend widerwillig

απρόθυμος

reacio renuente reticente

vastahakoinenhaluton

hésitant réticent

nesklon

tregur, ófús

riluttante riluttanza

いやいやながらの

마음이 내키지 않는

negribīgs

zdráhavý

nevoljen

motvillig

ไม่เต็มใจ

gönülsüz isteksiz

miễn cưỡng

不愿意的勉强的

reluctant

[rɪˈlʌktənt] ADJ [person] → reacio, reticente, renuente (frm); [praise] → a regañadientes
the case was hampered by reluctant witnesses → testigos reacios a colaborar obstaculizaron el caso
I would make a reluctant secretary → yo trabajaría como secretario con desgana or a regañadientes
the reluctant dragon → el dragón que no quería
he indicated his reluctant acceptance of the proposals → indicó que aceptaba las propuestas con reservas
he left with Bernstein's reluctant consent → se fue con el consentimiento que Bernstein le había dado a regañadientes or muy a su pesar
he took the reluctant decision to stop production → tomó la decisión, muy a su pesar, de parar la producción
to be reluctant to do sth: she was reluctant to ask for help → se mostraba reacia a pedir ayuda
we were reluctant to sell the house → éramos reacios a vender la casa, nos resistíamos a vender la casa

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

reluctant

[rɪˈlʌktənt] adj [person] → réticent(e)
to be reluctant to do sth → être réticent(e) à faire qch, répugner à faire qch
They were reluctant to help us → Ils étaient réticents à nous aider., Ils répugnaient à nous aider.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

reluctant

adj → unwillig, widerwillig; admission, consent, praise → widerwillig; he is reluctant to do it → es widerstrebt ihm, es zu tun; I’m reluctant to go, as he may not even be there → ich gehe nur ungern, denn er ist vielleicht nicht einmal da; he seems reluctant to admit it → er scheint es nicht zugeben zu wollen; he is a reluctant soldier/student → er ist nur widerwillig Soldat/Student; “reluctant sale” → „Notverkauf“

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

reluctant

[rɪˈlʌktənt] adj (person) → riluttante, restio/a; (praise, consent) → concesso/a a malincuore
to be reluctant to do sth → essere restio a fare qc

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

reluctant

(rəˈlaktənt) adjective

unwilling. He was reluctant to accept the medal for his bravery.

reˈluctantly adverb

reˈluctance noun

I don't understand his reluctance to go.

reluctant

→ مـُمَانِع neochotný modvillig widerwillig απρόθυμος reacio vastahakoinen réticent nesklon riluttante いやいやながらの 마음이 내키지 않는 onwillig motvillig niechętny relutante неохотный motvillig ไม่เต็มใจ gönülsüz miễn cưỡng 勉强的

reluctant

a. renuente; resistente; contrario-a.

References in classic literature ?

I wanted to know the cause of it, but she seemed reluctant to tell.

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He took his hat and went out, with a dragging, reluctant step.

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Katavasov went back to his own carriage, and with reluctant hypocrisy reported to Sergey Ivanovitch his observations of the volunteers, from which it would appear that they were capital fellows.

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He did not care himself about spending money, and was not reluctant to give it.

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They did not work for bosses, but spectacularly and magnificently, with their own might, grappled with the great world and wrung splendid living from its reluctant hands.

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Gathering himself quickly up, he stood more erect, like a man taken by surprise in a mood to which he was reluctant to have witnesses.

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Evidently he was reluctant to take his final cross- bearings of this earth for a Departure on the only voyage to an unknown destination a sailor ever undertakes.

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The good woman is reluctant to quit her occupation of baking cakes for the evening meal; but acknowledging the primary importance of securing the herds and flocks, she puts on her sheep-skin mantle; and, addressing a stranger who rests half reclined on a bed of rushes near the hearth, bids him mind the bread till her return.

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The feeble fingers were never idle, and one of her pleasures was to make little things for the school children daily passing to and fro, to drop a pair of mittens from her window for a pair of purple hands, a needlebook for some small mother of many dolls, penwipers for young penmen toiling through forests of pothooks, scrapbooks for picture-loving eyes, and all manner of pleasant devices, till the reluctant climbers of the ladder of learning found their way strewn with flowers, as it were, and came to regard the gentle giver as a sort of fairy godmother, who sat above there, and showered down gifts miraculously suited to their tastes and needs.

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It hardly moved my compassion - it appalled me: still, I felt reluctant to quit him so.

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Elizabeth tried to join in her father's pleasantry, but could only force one most reluctant smile.

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The road from the chapel to the shore, just one mile in length, was crowded with women and children; who, on their knees, greeted them as they passed with their tears and their blessings, while the prisoners advanced with slow and reluctant steps, weeping, praying, and singing hymns.