Reluctance
/rɪˈlʌk.təns/noun
A feeling of unwillingness or hesitation to do something.
Did you know?The word’s ancestor described physical wrestling before English transformed that struggle into an inward battle of will.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lewg-
“To bend, turn, or struggle; a proposed ancestral root connected with Latin forms of wrestling and resistance.”
Classical Latin
Latin
luctārī
“To wrestle, struggle, or fight against.”
Late Latin
Latin
reluctārī
“To struggle against or resist, formed with re- meaning “against” or “back.””
17th Century
English
reluct
“To struggle against or resist; an early English verb borrowed from Latin.”
17th Century
English
reluctance
“The state or quality of being reluctant.”
Modern English
English
reluctance
“Unwillingness or hesitation.”
Explore more surprising origins