reluctantly
adverb
re·luc·tant·ly
ri-ˈlək-tənt-lē 
: 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
Elizabeth George SpeareHe is about to release 'Thriller,' and today he's agreed, reluctantly, to sit for the Rolling Stone cover.—Gerri Hirshey
Gerri HirsheyKirsti 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
Lois LowryExamples of reluctantly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Needing more funds, Yeva reluctantly agrees to help two sisters aiming to kidnap a group of Westerners on one such tour — and then Russia invades.
—Connie Ogle, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
Also premiering was Hatchlings, a whimsical yet emotionally textured short that follows a teenage girl reluctantly babysitting her turtle-loving half-brother.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 6 July 2025
The decisive vote in the Senate was cast by Lisa Murkowski, who reluctantly supported the bill after Republican leaders made several concessions targeted at helping her home state of Alaska escape some of the consequences of the measure.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 3 July 2025
That pretty much describes most of the characters in Jurassic Park III, in which hero paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) reluctantly signs on to be an aerial tour guide of Isla Sorna, only to find himself on the ground and participating in the search for some missing persons.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
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Connie Ogle, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
Also premiering was Hatchlings, a whimsical yet emotionally textured short that follows a teenage girl reluctantly babysitting her turtle-loving half-brother.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 6 July 2025
The decisive vote in the Senate was cast by Lisa Murkowski, who reluctantly supported the bill after Republican leaders made several concessions targeted at helping her home state of Alaska escape some of the consequences of the measure.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 3 July 2025
That pretty much describes most of the characters in Jurassic Park III, in which hero paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) reluctantly signs on to be an aerial tour guide of Isla Sorna, only to find himself on the ground and participating in the search for some missing persons.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
Cite this Entry
“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctantly. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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