hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do 不情愿的;勉强的 He finally gave a reluctant smile. 他最后露出了一丝无可奈何的微笑。 They nodded in reluctant agreement. 他们不太情愿地点头同意了。 - reluctant to do something
She was reluctant to admit she was wrong. 她不愿承认自己有错。 a reluctant hero (= a person who does not want to be called a hero) 不情愿做英雄的英雄
Extra ExamplesFor a moment, he felt almost reluctant to leave. 他一时感到几乎不愿意离开。 She was curiously reluctant to talk about the experience. 很奇怪,她不愿谈论那次经历。 Students may feel reluctant to ask questions. 学生可能不愿意提问。 The monarchy was notoriously reluctant to embrace change. 那个君主国不愿变革,这点众人皆知。 He was understandably reluctant to act as a witness. 可以理解,他不愿意充当证人。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- appear
- be
- feel
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
Word Originmid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘writhing, offering opposition’): from Latin reluctant- ‘struggling against’, from the verb reluctari, from re- (expressing intensive force) + luctari ‘to struggle’.