Word: reluctant (adjective)

Associations

"Reluctant" means not willing or hesitant to do something. It shows a feeling of doubt or unwillingness.

• She was reluctant to speak in front of the large audience. (She did not want to speak.)
• He felt reluctant to accept the job because it required moving to a new city. (He was hesitant.)
• They were reluctant to share their personal information online. (They did not want to share.)

Synonym: "unwilling" is similar but often stronger, meaning no desire at all. "Reluctant" can mean slight hesitation or doubt, not always complete refusal.

Substitution

You can replace "reluctant" with:

• hesitant (shows doubt or pause before action)
• unwilling (stronger, means not wanting to do something)
• disinclined (formal, means not favoring something)

Each word changes the tone a little. "Hesitant" is softer, "unwilling" is stronger.

Deconstruction

"Reluctant" comes from Latin "reluctari" meaning "to struggle against."

• Prefix "re-" means "back" or "again"
• Root "luct" means "struggle"
• Suffix "-ant" turns the verb into an adjective meaning "having the quality of"

So, "reluctant" literally means "struggling back" or "pulling away," which fits the idea of hesitation or unwillingness.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you felt reluctant to do something? What made you hesitate?
• How would you explain the difference between being "reluctant" and being "unwilling"?
• In what situations is it okay to be reluctant? When might it be better to overcome reluctance?