ENGLISH WORD FILE NO. 01672 · Core CSAT & TOEIC Vocabulary
reluctant
adj.
US/rɪˈlʌktənt/
UK/rɪˈlʌktənt/
CSAT Frequency72/100
TOEIC Frequency58/100
02
Meanings of reluctant
1adjective
Unwilling or disinclined to do something; showing resistance or hesitation.
She was reluctant to admit that she had made a serious mistake.
She was reluctant to admit that she had made a serious mistake.
The witness seemed reluctant to testify against his former business partner.
The witness seemed reluctant to testify against his former business partner.
03
Derivatives of reluctant
reluctance
reluctance (noun)
His reluctance to change his old habits made improvement difficult.
His reluctance to change his old habits made improvement difficult.
reluctantly
reluctantly (adverb)
She reluctantly agreed to participate in the challenging project.
She reluctantly agreed to participate in the challenging project.
show reluctance
show reluctance (verb phrase)
Many employees show reluctance when asked to work overtime.
Many employees show reluctance when asked to work overtime.
04
Synonyms & Antonyms of reluctant
05
Common Phrases with reluctant
reluctant to admitreluctant to admit
reluctant participantreluctant participant
reluctant agreementreluctant agreement
show reluctanceshow reluctance
reluctant witnessreluctant witness
06
Practice Question: reluctant
Choose the best word for the blank
Although she was ___ to leave her hometown, she knew that moving would advance her career.
- A reluctance
- B reluctant
- C reluctantly
- D reluctants
The adjective 'reluctant' is needed to describe the subject 'she' after the linking verb 'was'; reluctance is a noun, reluctantly is an adverb, and reluctants is not a valid form.