enggan

Enggan is a Malay-Indonesian word used as an adjective and verb meaning reluctant or unwilling to do something. It expresses an internal hesitation or a soft refusal, rather than a firm stand or explicit denial. In sentences, it often accompanies an infinitive, as in enggan mengakui, enggan berkomentar, or enggan menandatangani. It can describe the subject: Dia enggan menjawab, or function as a predicative complement after a subject, and it can appear with the adverbial phrase dengan enggan to indicate the manner of action.

In usage, enggan is commonly found in formal or literary Indonesian and is frequently preferred to more blunt terms like menolak or tidak mau. In everyday speech, speakers might use tidak mau or tidak bersedia as alternatives, depending on context and emphasis. The term also appears in news reporting, where it conveys a measured reluctance rather than outright refusal.

The noun form keengganan denotes the state or quality of reluctance. Antonyms include kesediaan or bersedia, which indicate willingness or readiness. Related expressions describe specific kinds of reluctance, such as enggan berbuat atau enggan menerima, with nuance varying by context.

Enggan carries nuance of voluntary hesitation rather than forced rejection, making it suited to descriptions of tone, attitude, or policy positions where the subject prefers not to act but stops short of a clear refusal. It is widely understood across Malay-speaking regions and remains a standard term in formal Indonesian prose.