hesitate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.
She hesitated to take the job.
- Antonyms:
- decide
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to have scruples or doubts; be unwilling.
He hesitated to break the law.
-
to pause.
I hesitated before reciting the next line.
- Antonyms:
- hasten
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to falter in speech; stammer.
Embarrassment caused the speaker to hesitate.
verb
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to hold back or be slow in acting; be uncertain
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to be unwilling or reluctant (to do something)
-
to stammer or pause in speaking
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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hesitaternoun
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hesitationnoun
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hesitatornoun
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prehesitateverb (used without object)
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hesitativeadjective
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hesitatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hesitatesimple
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hesitatessimple
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have hesitatedperfect
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has hesitatedperfect
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am hesitatingprogressive
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are hesitatingprogressive
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is hesitatingprogressive
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have been hesitatingperfect progressive
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has been hesitatingperfect progressive
Past
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hesitatedsimple
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had hesitatedperfect
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was hesitatingprogressive
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were hesitatingprogressive
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had been hesitatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hesitate
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin haesitātus “faltered,” past participle of haesitāre “to falter”; see hesitant
Explanation
To hesitate is to pause before doing something, often out of concern or worry. If you're playing basketball and have a wide-open shot but don't take it right away, you hesitated. Maybe you felt too much pressure to shoot the ball. When people are nervous or worried, they tend to hesitate. Hesitating while speaking is common. In class, if you're not sure you have the right answer, you'll hesitate. When giving bad news, people often hesitate. Sometimes it makes sense to hesitate and sometimes you just need to do what you have to do.
Vocabulary lists containing hesitate
List 3
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"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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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.
See Examples For:
One reason for the ECB to hesitate in implementing another rate hike this week may be that the central bank for the 21-nation single currency area faced some criticism for its June increase.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Alexandre Léon, head of the Périgord foie gras association, said that if Chinese imports arrive, customers might hesitate at first but price would ultimately win out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Addressing his wildly speculated about absence, McConnell said: "Folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older".
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Under former general manager Perry Minasian, college players would be stoked to be drafted by the Angels, who did not hesitate to promote top prospects to the major leagues after the briefest of minor-league stints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
I hesitate, not sure that I want to tell her more than I already have.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The Fed typically hesitates to respond to price spikes caused by changes in energy prices, which are known for being bumpy, but she said the persistent overshoot might make that "harder to do this time".
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
Most people recognize the familiar situation at a restaurant or dinner party when one plate arrives early and the person served hesitates to start eating.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026
And while one hesitates to say “in spite of,” Ms. Naud has cultivated a healthy career in genre films with a very prominent nevus, or birthmark, under her right eye.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
That is the case for Lucia May, aged four, who hesitates as she looks at skulls peeking from wooden boxes, some still with some hair.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025
He hesitates, as if trying to decide whether to speak, and finally leaves without saying anything.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
"I was young and I hesitated when thinking about leaving my country, in order to pursue new goals and paths," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Film and TV have not hesitated either, with Epic Games' tech deployed in Star Wars series "The Mandalorian" and Oscar-winning short film "War is Over".
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
While 27 states have agreed to use SAVE, others have hesitated, concerned not only about inaccuracies, but also about privacy and the data’s potential to be used in immigration enforcement.
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2026
The stakes felt enormous, yet I hesitated before waking him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
Thor kept licking at the tip of the syringe, but his quick pink tongue hesitated just a bit when Bat spoke.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Participants at the Santa Marta meeting believe the real purpose of the meeting is to show those who are hesitating about the transition that there is a critical mass moving in favour of renewables.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
DSA-LA member Anna Gross argued that neither candidate was ideal, with Huang, who has little political experience, being a long shot and Raman hesitating to fully embrace the group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2026
They held them up to the light, pressed them between their fingers, hesitating — until, one by one, they took a bite.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
That removed a near-term overhang on the stock, but private lenders are hesitating to back its plans, according to Schwartz.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 25, 2026
They stood hesitating, and Wang Lung was greatly embarrassed, not knowing whether he should speak or what.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
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.
