Word
reluctant
Phoneticsre·luc·tant, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈɫəktənt/
UK/ɹɪlˈʌktənt/
Definitions
01unwilling
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not wanting to do something, or doing it slowly because you do not like it.
adj. unwilling or hesitant to perform an action; often implies a struggle between duty and personal preference.
日本語:嫌※
“She was reluctant to leave her warm bed on such a cold morning.”
“The CEO was reluctant to sign the merger agreement until the legal team had reviewed every clause for potential liabilities.”
Pitfall
He was reluctant of going to the party.
He was reluctant to go to the party.
The adjective 'reluctant' is followed by a 'to-infinitive', not the preposition 'of'.
Antonyms
02computing/regex
C2 · Proficiency Computing Technical
adj. in computer programming, matching as little text as possible.
adj. describing a quantifier in regular expressions that matches the shortest possible string.
“You should use a reluctant quantifier here to avoid capturing the whole line.”
“By default, the engine is greedy, so you must specify a reluctant match if you only want the content between the first pair of tags.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03defiant
C2 · Proficiency Archaic
adj. showing resistance or being difficult to manage.
adj. showing opposition or resistance; refractory in nature.
“The reluctant soil refused to yield any crops despite the farmer's hard work.”
“In the epic poem, the reluctant elements of nature seemed to conspire against the hero's progress toward the summit.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “reluctant” in context.
Verb
01. remain reluctant
“The government remains reluctant to intervene in the ongoing labor dispute.”
verb + adj
02. seem reluctant to change
“The older staff members seem reluctant to change their established routines.”
verb + adj + infinitive
Adjective
03. reluctant about the proposal
“Several board members remained reluctant about the proposal despite the potential profits.”
adj + prep + noun
04. reluctant to admit
“The CEO was reluctant to admit that the company's strategy had failed.”
adj + infinitive
05. somewhat reluctant
“She felt somewhat reluctant to join the committee given her busy schedule.”
adv + adj
Adverb
06. extremely reluctant
“The witness was extremely reluctant to testify against his former employer.”
adv + adj
07. understandably reluctant
“Investors are understandably reluctant to commit funds during such economic volatility.”
adv + adj
Real-World Examples
“Yet the journalist appears reluctant to focus on the pressures he's under, preferring instead to highlight the plight of compatriots in prison.” “She was reluctant to leave, having already expressed concern about how Jude would manage without her.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin reluctāns, present participle of reluctor (“to struggle against, oppose, resist”), from re- (“back”) + luctor (“to struggle”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/reluctant
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0