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
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In late September, Hamza had reluctantly fled his village, a few miles from the border with Israel. Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024 The West, though nervous about antagonizing Russia due to its nuclear arsenal, nevertheless started helping Ukraine and providing military support, albeit reluctantly. Katya Soldak, Forbes, 19 Nov. 2024 The former president reluctantly stepped back from his previous criticism, encouraging Republicans to vote early in 2024. Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Nov. 2024 The last time that two politicians from different political parties somewhat reluctantly served in the same administration was between 1797-1801, when President John Adams (a Federalist) and Vice President Thomas Jefferson (a Democratic-Republican) held the offices. Michael Bartiromo, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reluctantly 

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 30 Nov. 2024.

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