hesitant
Americanadjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- hesitance noun
- hesitantly adverb
- nonhesitant adjective
- nonhesitantly adverb
- unhesitant adjective
- unhesitantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of hesitant
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin haesitant-, stem of haesitāns “faltering,” present participle of haesitāre “to falter, hesitate,” literally, “to stick repeatedly,” from haerēre “to stick, cling”
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.
Scott noted that some people with sleep apnea are hesitant to use CPAP, but he emphasized that many veterans have strongly positive experiences with the device.
From Science Daily
Even those hesitant to add more gold seemed doubtful about selling any.
From Barron's
She voted for October’s rate cut but told reporters Saturday she is “hesitant” about further reductions because the current “mildly restrictive” rate setting may be needed to manage inflation.
Nike and Hoka owner Deckers Brands have been more cautious in their outlooks, citing hesitant shoppers and rising tariff costs.
With it now trading below that level, they may be hesitant to dip into their pockets again, especially if they borrowed money to buy it and are now facing margin calls.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
