Synonyms

hesitancy

American

[hez-i-tuhn-see] / ˈhɛz ɪ tən si /

Also hesitance

noun

plural

hesitancies

hesitation; indecision or disinclination.

Other Word Forms

prehesitancy noun

Etymology

Origin of hesitancy

From the Latin word haesitantia, dating back to 1610–20. See hesitant, -ancy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Their hesitancy to cut rates, I think, is actually ... quite a mark against them,” he said on CNBC.

From Los Angeles Times

Bailey chalks this hesitancy up to education, but Motta says it’s not just that, noting that many pet parents today are well-read.

From The Wall Street Journal

While American oil producers have expressed hesitancy about rushing back to Venezuela, the companies that provide them with equipment and expertise, such as Halliburton, are raring to go.

From The Wall Street Journal

America’s top oil producers have expressed hesitancy about rushing back to Venezuela, but the companies that provide them with equipment and expertise are raring to go.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Most Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy was rooted in concrete concerns that can be addressed and successfully overcome with time and increasing availability of information," the study in The Lancet journal said.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023