Mr Spero was reluctant to ask for help...
The police are very reluctant to get involved in this sort of thing.
Ministers have shown extreme reluctance to explain their position to the media.
English dictionary. 2008.
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
