reluctant

reluctant
—reluctantly, adv.
/ri luk"teuhnt/, adj.
1. unwilling; disinclined: a reluctant candidate.
2. struggling in opposition.
[1655-65; < L reluctant- (s. of reluctans), prp. of reluctari. See RELUCT, -ANT]
Syn. 1. RELUCTANT, LOATH, AVERSE describe disinclination toward something. RELUCTANT implies some sort of mental struggle, as between disinclination and sense of duty: reluctant to expel students. LOATH describes extreme disinclination: loath to part from a friend. AVERSE, used with to and a noun or a gerund, describes a long-held dislike or unwillingness, though not a particularly strong feeling: averse to an idea; averse to getting up early.
Ant. 1. willing.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Reluctant — Re*luc tant ( tant), a. [L. reluctans, antis, p. pr. of reluctari. See {Reluct}.] 1. Striving against; opposed in desire; unwilling; disinclined; loth. [1913 Webster] Reluctant, but in vain. Milton. [1913 Webster] Reluctant now I touched the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • reluctant — [ri luk′tənt] adj. [L reluctans, prp. of reluctari, to resist < re , against + luctari, to struggle: see LOCK1] 1. opposed in mind (to do something); unwilling; disinclined 2. marked by unwillingness [a reluctant answer] 3. Rare struggling… …   English World dictionary

  • reluctant — reluctánt adj. m., pl. reluctánţi; f. sg. reluctántă, pl. reluctánte Trimis de siveco, 10.08.2004. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic  RELUCTÁNT, Ă adj. refractar, recalcitrant, îndărătnic. (< engl. reluct …   Dicționar Român

  • reluctant — I adjective adverse, averse, avoiding, begrudging, diffident, discontented, disinclined, dissenting, dissentious, evasive, grudging, hesitant, hesitating, hesitative, inacquiescent, indisposed, involuntary, irreconcilable, not disposed, not… …   Law dictionary

  • reluctant — reluctant, ante (re lu ktan, ktan t ) adj. Qui lutte contre, qui résiste (latinisme qui n est pas usité). •   Doué d un esprit droit plutôt qu étendu.... fort révérencieux pour le pouvoir, un peu reluctant contre les nouveautés, M. Gaudin eût… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • reluctant — unwilling, 1660s, from L. reluctantem, prp. of reluctari (see RELUCTANCE (Cf. reluctance)). Related: Reluctantly …   Etymology dictionary

  • reluctant — *disinclined, indisposed, hesitant, loath, averse Analogous words: *cautious, circumspect, chary, wary, calculating: *antipathetic, unsympathetic Contrasted words: inclined, disposed, predisposed (see INCLINE vb): *eager, avid, keen …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • reluctant — [adj] unenthusiastic, unwilling afraid, averse, backward, calculating, cautious, chary, circumspect, demurring, diffident, discouraged, disheartened, disinclined, grudging, hanging back, hesitant, hesitating, indisposed, involuntary, laggard,… …   New thesaurus

  • reluctant — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ unwilling and hesitant. DERIVATIVES reluctantly adverb. ORIGIN originally in the sense «offering opposition»: from Latin reluctari struggle against …   English terms dictionary

  • reluctant — 01. She has been [reluctant] to get into a relationship with a guy ever since her last boyfriend dumped her. 02. I am [reluctant] to tell him the truth because I know he ll get angry. 03. It is with great [reluctance] that I announce today my… …   Grammatical examples in English

  • reluctant — re•luc•tant [[t]rɪˈlʌk tənt[/t]] adj. 1) unwilling; disinclined: a reluctant candidate[/ex] 2) marked by hesitation or slowness because of unwillingness: a reluctant promise[/ex] • Etymology: 1655–65; < L reluctant , s. of reluctāns, prp. of… …   From formal English to slang

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