re|luc|tant

re|luc|tant «rih LUHK tuhnt», adjective.

1. showing unwillingness; unwilling: »

The teacher led the reluctant boy to the principal. He put the flimsy paper down with a slow, reluctant movement (H. G. Wells).

2. slow to act because unwilling: »

I am reluctant to go out in very cold weather. He was very reluctant to give his money away.

3. Archaic. resisting; opposing.

╂[< Latin reluctāns, -antis struggling against, present participle of reluctārī < re- back + luctārī to struggle]

–re|luc´tant|ly, adverb.

Synonym Study 1 Reluctant, loath mean unwilling to do something. Reluctant implies mere lack of willingness, due to distaste for what is to be done, to irresolution, or simply to laziness: »

She gave us her reluctant consent. He was reluctant to leave his cozy chair by the fire.

Loath implies strong unwillingness because one feels the thing to be done is extremely disagreeable or hateful: »

His parents were loath to believe their son would steal.