reluctantly

adverb

re·​luc·​tant·​ly ri-ˈlək-tənt-lē How to pronounce reluctantly (audio)
: 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
He is about to release 'Thriller,' and today he's agreed, reluctantly, to sit for the Rolling Stone cover.Gerri Hirshey
Kirsti 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

Examples of reluctantly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When a mission to capture him goes haywire, her only way to survive and save mankind is to pilot a mech suit and reluctantly trust an onboard AI. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024 Its ambling, shambling tour of crashing parties, crashing on available couches, and reluctantly crashing your way into maturity, one misadventure at a time, is not a bug but a feature here. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for reluctantly 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reluctantly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reluctantly was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near reluctantly

Cite this Entry

“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctantly. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on reluctantly

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