Reluctance Meaning
/ɹɪˈlʌktəns/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounUnwillingness to do something.
nounHesitancy in taking some action.
Sentence Examples
We noticed his reluctance to testify.
I don't understand his reluctance to go.
He showed a great reluctance to help me.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
She showed great ____ to leave the warm bed on the cold winter morning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She accepted the promotion with some ____, worried that the extra responsibility would affect her health.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English reluct Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old French -ancebor. Middle English -aunce English -ance English reluctance From reluct + -ance. From Latin relū̆ctor (“to struggle against, oppose, resist”) + -ance, from re- (“back”) + luctor (“to struggle”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"No more be mention’d then of violence / Against our selves, and wilful barrenness, / That cuts us off fom hope, and favours onely / Rancor and pride, impatience and despite, / Reluctance against God and his just yoke / Laid on our Necks."
— 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 1041–6:
"That is to say, the total number of ampere-hours, including the drop of gilbertage, due to magnetic flux traversing the reluctance of the circuit, must be equal to zero."
— 1903, The Electrical World and Engineer, volume 42, page 369:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She showed great ____ to leave the warm bed on the cold winter morning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She accepted the promotion with some ____, worried that the extra responsibility would affect her health.