RELUCTANCES Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

reluctance

noun

ri-ˈlək-tən(t)s

Definition of reluctance

as in unwillingness

a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something the mice showed an odd reluctance to eat the cheese we had put out for them

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of reluctance According to Deadline, the movie deals with Zuckerberg’s long-standing reluctance to fact-check political ads on Meta’s platforms. — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 Cutting away from the difficult discussion mirrors Ted’s initial reluctance to have it in the first place. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026 This is not an idle burn, as the movie itself deals with Zuckerberg’s longstanding reluctance to fact-check political ads on Meta‘s platforms. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 That reluctance to expose his central characters and the institution to ridicule is odd given the novel’s account of Ayad’s education as a playwright. — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reluctance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctance

Noun

Good leadership requires enough curiosity to distinguish unwillingness from overload.

— Shahrzad Jalali, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Hinds was a big, sometimes difficult personality, with an easy laugh and a large tribal tattoo across his face, plus a general unwillingness to compromise.

— Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of unwillingness

Noun

Opposition or hesitancy has been less focused on Hasan's death sentence which has broad support among Republicans, but on the decision to broadcast it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Consider the party’s hesitancy in addressing the financial ramifications of China’s demographic decline.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitancy

Noun

However, Pritzker’s hesitance to deploy a comprehensive solution to data centers could be his Achilles’ heel in the primaries.

— Patrick McNamara, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Definition of hesitance

Noun

Complicating things is the current Administration, which has mastered the art of using those message-delivery systems to spread doubt and discontent and suspicion.

— Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Beset with doubts and periods of blockage, Krasner had to find constantly ways to move on and pursue a trajectory that was all her own, all while facing Pollock’s larger-than-life.

— John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of doubt

Noun

Culturally, the word is synonymous with ugly, not just for the ways lesbians defy traditional gender roles in the popular imagination but for their disinclination toward and unavailability to men.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
The same disinclination would normally apply.

— Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025

Definition of disinclination

Browse Nearby Words

relucent

reluctance

reluctant

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“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctance. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of reluctance

noun

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